The Oblivion Cycle theoblivioncyclewiki https://theoblivioncycle.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page MediaWiki 1.40.1 first-letter Media Special Talk User User talk The Oblivion Cycle The Oblivion Cycle talk File File talk MediaWiki MediaWiki talk Template Template talk Help Help talk Category Category talk Module Module talk 0 1 1 2023-08-09T10:45:55Z MediaWiki default 1 Create main page wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ == Welcome to {{SITENAME}}! == This Main Page was created automatically and it seems it hasn't been replaced yet. === For the bureaucrat(s) of this wiki === Hello, and welcome to your new wiki! Thank you for choosing Miraheze for the hosting of your wiki, we hope you will enjoy our hosting. You can immediately start working on your wiki or whenever you want. Need help? No problem! We will help you with your wiki as needed. 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You can find us here: * [[meta:Special:MyLanguage/Help center|On our own Miraheze wiki]] * On [[phab:|Phabricator]] * On [https://miraheze.org/discord Discord] * On IRC in #miraheze on irc.libera.chat ([irc://irc.libera.chat/%23miraheze direct link]; [https://web.libera.chat/?channel=#miraheze webchat]) === For visitors of this wiki === Hello, the default Main Page of this wiki (this page) has not yet been replaced by the bureaucrat(s) of this wiki. The bureaucrat(s) might still be working on a Main Page, so please check again later! 21236ac3f8d65e5563b6da6b70815ca6bf1e6616 2 1 2023-08-09T15:35:57Z Lord Frostdraken the Deranged 2 Protected "[[Main Page]]" ([Edit=Allow only administrators] (indefinite) [Move=Allow only administrators] (indefinite)) wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ == Welcome to {{SITENAME}}! == This Main Page was created automatically and it seems it hasn't been replaced yet. === For the bureaucrat(s) of this wiki === Hello, and welcome to your new wiki! Thank you for choosing Miraheze for the hosting of your wiki, we hope you will enjoy our hosting. You can immediately start working on your wiki or whenever you want. Need help? No problem! We will help you with your wiki as needed. To start, try checking out these helpful links: * [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Contents|MediaWiki guide]] (e.g. navigation, editing, deleting pages, blocking users) * [[meta:Special:MyLanguage/FAQ|Miraheze FAQ]] * [[meta:Special:MyLanguage/Request features|Request settings changes on your wiki]]. (Extensions, Skin and Logo/Favicon changes should be done through [[Special:ManageWiki]] on your wiki, see [[meta:Special:MyLanguage/ManageWiki|ManageWiki]] for more information.) ==== I still don't understand X! ==== Well, that's no problem. Even if something isn't explained in the documentation/FAQ, we are still happy to help you. You can find us here: * [[meta:Special:MyLanguage/Help center|On our own Miraheze wiki]] * On [[phab:|Phabricator]] * On [https://miraheze.org/discord Discord] * On IRC in #miraheze on irc.libera.chat ([irc://irc.libera.chat/%23miraheze direct link]; [https://web.libera.chat/?channel=#miraheze webchat]) === For visitors of this wiki === Hello, the default Main Page of this wiki (this page) has not yet been replaced by the bureaucrat(s) of this wiki. The bureaucrat(s) might still be working on a Main Page, so please check again later! 21236ac3f8d65e5563b6da6b70815ca6bf1e6616 3 2 2023-08-11T01:58:20Z Lord Frostdraken the Deranged 2 Sprucing up the place. Adding pertinent information on the project. wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ == Welcome to The Oblivion Cycle Setting! == The purpose of this Wiki is to share all the lore and narratives of the vast TOC universe and all of its Entirety. === A Basic Introduction to the Project === The Oblivion Cycle is a creative project created by me (Lord Frostdraken the Deranged) after I had gotten fed up with the large amounts of science fiction stories that just didn’t scratch the insatiable itch for adventure. I was sitting and reading a short story written by an amateur writer and thought to myself, ‘I could do that.’ And so I did. I started writing a story in January of 2022 that would later come to be called ‘The Shining Knight Saga: The Saga Begins’ and has been completed for some time. As I wrote I came to realize that I had so much more to offer the world than a single hastily written novel, so I persevered. I began work on another novel, this one about Humanity’s first foray into the stars and decided to call it ‘The First True Voyagers’. This tale would be much more ambitious, taking more of a narrative backseat and letting the environment tell a story, but this was not all. I also began an expansive rebuild of the setting itself, it was at this point that I first wrote a short form story called ‘Adrenaline’, this story spoke to me in ways I had not yet had the opportunity to experience before. It was then that I realised the true potential of what I had stumbled across blindly. My mind was like a dam that held far too much water from spring floods, the dam broke and ideas began to pour from me faster than I could possibly keep up. I must stress that I am a meticulous idea preserver, I write down everything that comes to mind whether it has a place in the setting or not, and it is well that I did so as some of my largest serendipity moments came from months old and near forgotten lore connecting to new ideas in strange and wondrous ways. I soon began to feel the literally infinite potential of the setting and the stories I can tell. Not even taking the immensity of everything into account, just sticking to Humanity in a single universe there is the potential for a life's work a dozen times over. But the more I worked to complete the project the more I began to realize, there would be no completion of the project, for it is far too vast for a single man to even scratch the surface of its mighty potential. With the addition of the Vast to the setting and their tie-ins to the enigmatic Cosmic Destroyers the setting started to feel unique to me. I cannot directly recall another that is as ambitious in its scale or variability, not one designed to be spread to others that is. It originally was and still remains my ultimate goal to create a comprehensive setting that anyone can feel confident writing in, a creative singularity that draws in talent and spits out incredible new narratives and exciting tales. I have always aspirated to inspire others with my work. At this time I have inspired more than half a dozen people to create their own settings and writings that otherwise would not have started in all likelihood were it not for my influence on their lives. It is the highest honor to me as a writer when your work inspires another to create their own. In short, The Oblivion Cycle is a truly infinite writing setting that takes inspiration from all parts of life and fiction and welcomes creativity and alternate points of view. It is a challenge screaming to the world, “Here I am, look at me.” And I for one would not have it any other way. Thank you for reading and I hope you find the information contained on this site both entertaining and enlightening. === A Series of Navigational Links === * A Long Winded Explanation of Everything in the Setting * All Current Sapient Species Descriptions * An In-depth Look at Specific Species Information * All Current References for the Setting * The Full TOC Timeline w/links * All TOC Stories in Chronological Order Thank you for visiting The Oblivion Cycle Wiki, and big thanks to Miraheze for making this possible. d4d3d9b60dd316f141f72659409e63a98f5a4336 6 3 2023-08-11T02:37:42Z Lord Frostdraken the Deranged 2 added links wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ == Welcome to The Oblivion Cycle Setting! == The purpose of this Wiki is to share all the lore and narratives of the vast TOC universe and all of its Entirety. === A Basic Introduction to the Project === The Oblivion Cycle is a creative project created by me (Lord Frostdraken the Deranged) after I had gotten fed up with the large amounts of science fiction stories that just didn’t scratch the insatiable itch for adventure. I was sitting and reading a short story written by an amateur writer and thought to myself, ‘I could do that.’ And so I did. I started writing a story in January of 2022 that would later come to be called ‘The Shining Knight Saga: The Saga Begins’ and has been completed for some time. As I wrote I came to realize that I had so much more to offer the world than a single hastily written novel, so I persevered. I began work on another novel, this one about Humanity’s first foray into the stars and decided to call it ‘The First True Voyagers’. This tale would be much more ambitious, taking more of a narrative backseat and letting the environment tell a story, but this was not all. I also began an expansive rebuild of the setting itself, it was at this point that I first wrote a short form story called ‘Adrenaline’, this story spoke to me in ways I had not yet had the opportunity to experience before. It was then that I realised the true potential of what I had stumbled across blindly. My mind was like a dam that held far too much water from spring floods, the dam broke and ideas began to pour from me faster than I could possibly keep up. I must stress that I am a meticulous idea preserver, I write down everything that comes to mind whether it has a place in the setting or not, and it is well that I did so as some of my largest serendipity moments came from months old and near forgotten lore connecting to new ideas in strange and wondrous ways. I soon began to feel the literally infinite potential of the setting and the stories I can tell. Not even taking the immensity of everything into account, just sticking to Humanity in a single universe there is the potential for a life's work a dozen times over. But the more I worked to complete the project the more I began to realize, there would be no completion of the project, for it is far too vast for a single man to even scratch the surface of its mighty potential. With the addition of the Vast to the setting and their tie-ins to the enigmatic Cosmic Destroyers the setting started to feel unique to me. I cannot directly recall another that is as ambitious in its scale or variability, not one designed to be spread to others that is. It originally was and still remains my ultimate goal to create a comprehensive setting that anyone can feel confident writing in, a creative singularity that draws in talent and spits out incredible new narratives and exciting tales. I have always aspirated to inspire others with my work. At this time I have inspired more than half a dozen people to create their own settings and writings that otherwise would not have started in all likelihood were it not for my influence on their lives. It is the highest honor to me as a writer when your work inspires another to create their own. In short, The Oblivion Cycle is a truly infinite writing setting that takes inspiration from all parts of life and fiction and welcomes creativity and alternate points of view. It is a challenge screaming to the world, “Here I am, look at me.” And I for one would not have it any other way. Thank you for reading and I hope you find the information contained on this site both entertaining and enlightening. === A Series of Navigational Links === * [[https://theoblivioncycle.miraheze.org/wiki/A_Long_Winded_Explanation_of_Everything_in_the_Setting|A Long Winded Explanation of Everything in the Setting]] * All Current Sapient Species Descriptions * An In-depth Look at Specific Species Information * All Current References for the Setting * The Full TOC Timeline w/links * All TOC Stories in Chronological Order Thank you for visiting The Oblivion Cycle Wiki, and big thanks to Miraheze for making this possible. 5e95e7f1b687eac897cb16039138d4f6a6254412 6 2 4 2023-08-11T02:11:36Z Lord Frostdraken the Deranged 2 wikitext text/x-wiki This is a picture (A rough sketch at the moment) of the Entirety of the TOC setting. 720e64e112455f0bf811d0245ee304dafd1643d2 0 3 5 2023-08-11T02:36:35Z Lord Frostdraken the Deranged 2 Added a whole lot of valuable information to the setting wikitext text/x-wiki == A Long Winded Explanation of ‘Everything’ in The Oblivion Cycle == ''(Not actually everything, but gives a good impression of what is on offer) [Document is still a Work in Progress]'' === What is The Oblivion Cycle Setting? === The Oblivion Cycle is a creative project created by me (Lord Frostdraken the Deranged) after I had gotten fed up with the large amounts of science fiction stories that just didn’t scratch the insatiable itch for adventure. I was sitting and reading a short story written by an amateur writer and thought to myself, ‘I could do that.’ And so I did. I started writing a story in January of 2022 that would later come to be called ‘The Shining Knight Saga: The Saga Begins’ and has been completed for some time. As I wrote I came to realize that I had so much more to offer the world than a single hastily written novel, so I persevered. I began work on another novel, this one about Humanity’s first foray into the stars and decided to call it ‘The First True Voyagers’. This tale would be much more ambitious, taking more of a narrative backseat and letting the environment tell a story, but this was not all. I also began an expansive rebuild of the setting itself, it was at this point that I first wrote a short form story called ‘Adrenaline’, this story spoke to me in ways I had not yet had the opportunity to experience before. It was then that I realised the true potential of what I had stumbled across blindly. My mind was like a dam that held far too much water from spring floods, the dam broke and ideas began to pour from me faster than I could possibly keep up. I must stress that I am a meticulous idea preserver, I write down everything that comes to mind whether it has a place in the setting or not, and it is well that I did so as some of my largest serendipity moments came from months old and near forgotten lore connecting to new ideas in strange and wondrous ways. I soon began to feel the literally infinite potential of the setting and the stories I can tell. Not even taking the immensity of everything into account, just sticking to Humanity in a single universe there is the potential for a life's work a dozen times over. But the more I worked to complete the project the more I began to realize, there would be no completion of the project, for it is far too vast for a single man to even scratch the surface of its mighty potential. With the addition of the Vast to the setting and their tie-ins to the enigmatic Cosmic Destroyers the setting started to feel unique to me. I cannot directly recall another that is as ambitious in its scale or variability, not one designed to be spread to others that is. It originally was and still remains my ultimate goal to create a comprehensive setting that anyone can feel confident writing in, a creative singularity that draws in talent and spits out incredible new narratives and exciting tales. I have always aspirated to inspire others with my work. At this time I have inspired more than half a dozen people to create their own settings and writings that otherwise would not have started in all likelihood were it not for my influence on their lives. It is the highest honor to me as a writer when your work inspires another to create their own. In short, The Oblivion Cycle is a truly infinite writing setting that takes inspiration from all parts of life and fiction and welcomes creativity and alternate points of view. It is a challenge screaming to the world, “Here I am, look at me.” And I for one would not have it any other way. Thank you for reading and I hope you find the following information both relevant and secure in the knowledge of what the setting has in store. === A General Feel for the Style === If I had to give a name to the genre of the setting as a whole I would personally call it Cosmic Omnifiction or Cosmic Science Fiction, though the first one seems to fit a bit better. It combines major elements of Science Fiction, Cosmic Horror and Space Opera with smaller dashes of Grim Dark, Romance, Mystery and Thriller. The setting as a whole follows many of these tenets, but there exist across the setting pockets of more specific writing styles generally tied to specific events or species. For example, Humanity and Humanity’s empire called the Sapient Congressional Union(SCU) has more of a Post-scarcity Dystopian/Grimdark feel to it on purpose. Many of my stories mix and blend these concepts into new and relatively difficult to describe things, though the style I most try and emulate is Classic Science Fiction. I am hugely inspired by works of fiction from the early 1970s and 1980s, in fact many of the alien species are designed after the more classical style of ultra-alien extraterrestrials with their perfusion of eyes, lack of physical bodies and strange behaviors. Though this isn't to say that the more common humanoid type race does not exist too, as they do. === Why is it Called The Oblivion Cycle? === The Oblivion Cycle(TOC) setting is so named for the periodic destructive events that take place in almost every level of the setting. Universes are created by Vast consciousnesses from a place outside of reality called Borderspace and fill with life. After a time this life evolves into a new instance of a Vast and obliterates its incubating universe as a chick would as it emerges from its egg, or in this case from its reality. Thus the cycle of universes continues, but then even in these universes there exist cycles of destruction and rebirth too. Many realities become infested with beings known as Cosmic Destroyers who periodically wipe all complex intelligences from the universe as a whole, these oblivion cycles take place every few billion years on average and are done for the purpose of preserving reality. It is one of the most fundamental elements of the setting that all things must come to an eventual end and then be reborn in an endless cycle of destruction and creation that has no beginning or end. === The Entirety of the Setting === (The name given to the concept of Everything in The Oblivion Cycle setting) '''Space and Time vs Spacetime''' (Diagram of the Entirety below) [[File:The Entirety.jpg|thumb]] Space is highly variable and only truly exists in a few places in the Entirety. Real space and Hyperspace are the two main locations where one might say recognizable space exists. In these places there is an up and a down, a left and right, a forward and backwards. Only in these places do the concepts of space exist as Humanity understands them. Then there is time, time is totally all encompassing, immutable and unbreakable across all dimensions and planes of the Entirety. Time cannot be broken or warped, only bent. Across the realms of Border space and the infinite multiverse time is unchanging. A year inside is the same as a year outside, though the content of the plane itself might add in warping a being's concept of how time flows, the flow itself remains unchanged. Spacetime is entirely different, it is the fundamental interweaving of space and time. This helps to lock space down, making it real as one would describe it. Untethered space would eventually warp and twist upon itself into something known as a Fractal reality, a place where the concept of time is as twisted as space near the body of a singularity. Spacetime is like a vast blanket upon which all matter rests, matter is only able to exist with a base platform like this to settle on otherwise it decays infinitely till it no longer is detectable. It is in this manner that the Vast lose their billions of physical forms upon emerging from a mature reality into Border space. A realm of true chaos. '''Real Space:''' All of what is known to the common races, the universe as some might describe it. But it is more than that. Real space is the three spatial dimensions bounded by the ever expanding wave of substance that both supports and sometimes permeates it, bounded on all sides by Border space and interwoven with other dimensions. It is the basis upon which all other dimensions are built. Real space is where matter is formed, where stars and planets and galaxies exist to create the stuff of life. It is where all conscious thought in the Entirety manifests, though it may not be its final resting place. Reality as it is so often called is a cold and dark existence, bounded on all sides by space and time. '''Interdimensional Space:''' Similar to what one might call ‘Foldspace’, Interdimensional space is bounded on all sides by the reality its instance inhabits. It is incapable of reaching beyond the three spatial dimensions of its host universe. That being said, these folds in space act in a similar manner to Wormholes, though with a few key differences. Instead of being a hole burrowed through the fabric of spacetime, Interdimensional spaces are more akin to tunnels of ultra-warped space without the time warping effects of a true wormhole. They do not affect gravity and have no event horizon to block signals, they can instead be described as a linking of two distant points of space instantaneously with no discernible time lag. '''Slipspace:''' Slipspace is the buffer that surrounds all of reality. Think of it as the shell of an egg, the egg is all of Real space as we commonly understand it, and the shell protects against pathogens and insidious outsiders. Slipspace does not develop instantly, this means that a newly formed universe may become infested with Cosmic Destroyers or other Border space denizens, though most do not survive long in the toxic miasma of reality as spatial dimensions are anathema to beings of pure conscious energy, not destructive, just entirely unpleasant like a constant burning along the edges of one’s mind. '''Wakespace:''' The trailing edge of reality, its ripple on Hyperspace as the contained universe flows ever onward along the plane of energy that keeps it stable. Wake space is similar in functionality to Hyperspace except that it is turbulent, filled with crosscurrents and eddies that can trap or ensnare the unwary for all eternity or a few seconds. While this makes using it both unpredictable and highly dangerous, some races do as it has a single major advantage over regular Hyperspace. Wakespace is not infested with hyperlurks and insidious outsiders, unmarked and free of their taint. This being said, energy shields are still a requirement to protect ships from violent lashing energies and hypercyclones. '''Subspace Fractures:''' Tiny thread like rifts that extend outward from Subspace rifts that have ruptured spacetime. They tend to be no more than a few tens of thousands of kilometers in length though have on occasion been seen spanning entire solar systems. They act like the cracks in a sidewalk, a slight stumbling block for matter that causes it to warp or shift in unnatural ways. An object striking one of these fractures directly can expect to be bisected on a subatomic level, their very atoms cut asunder as if by the sharpest knife imaginable. '''Subspace:''' Subspace acts like a cushion between the harsh reality of Border space and reality, often going so far as to cause subspace rifts in reality from the contact. These Subspace rifts look like small tears in space lined with black tendrils not more than a few dozen kilometers in length, their miniscule size makes detecting them nearly impossible. That combined with the fact that these rifts are static points in an ever shifting and expanding universe making them seem to fly through the universe at great speed. Sometimes things from reality fall past their boundary, but much more often is the likelihood that strange and unexplainable things will use them as a gateway into the Known. While subspace is a buffer to Reality, it acts as a much more concrete platform for Fractured realities and Pocket dimensions, as fish would swim in a sea so too do these drift through subspace towards the veil. The boundary that separates the real from the anti, Border space. A being traveling into Subspace would at first notice the sound, or rather the total lack of it. As one of the major non-spatial dimensions, it is odious to common three dimensional life that is capable of experiencing the flow of time. The realm is like a void, but not the harsh chaos and terrifying void of Border space, instead it is the omnipresent deafening silence that causes madness here. '''Hyperspace:''' Hyperspace is a realm of pure unfettered spacetime, not bounded by Slipspace, it is thus able to grow and expand in all directions infinitely. But this ability comes at a price, what it gains in unrestricted expansion it loses in the form of the protective boundary of Slipspace. It is well known to the denizens that use this realm that it is inhabited with the most nightmarish forms of life ever encountered by Reality and its people. More specifically, Hyperspace is inhabited by horrific creatures of pure energy and ravenous chittering chiton called hyperlurks. These creatures feed on energy, and what is matter but instances of crystalized energy? Realspace is poison to them, but their baser instincts ignore this for the vast bounty of food that can be found in reality as Hyperspace is more akin to a vast empty desert. Flat and solid, but devoid of life and food for these beasts. Hyperspace for this reason is only safe to travel if the ships passing through have powerful energy shields to deflect hyperlurk attacks. Hyperlurks can on rare occasions attach themselves to a ship or craft and use this vessel as a chariot into Real space. Squeezing through the hard boundary of Slipspace through the Hyperspace conduit opened by the ship as it transfers back into the Known. Shields are not always successful against larger instances however as hyperlurks are not restricted in maximum size or power, most often found to be the size of a car or small building, they can nevertheless grow infinitely. There are recorded instances of hyperlurks so vast they seemed like worlds unto themselves, vast walls of chitinous flesh and slavering lipless mouths filled with razor teeth larger than the stars themselves. If such a monstrosity were able to escape the boundaries of Hyperspace there is no telling how long such a behemoth could survive in Reality, or the unthinkable damage it could do to Real space before evaporating completely. '''Hypershear:''' The bleeding edge of Hyperspace, constantly stitched together by the flowing Dimensional currents from along the lower boundaries of Extradimensional space. This causes the currents to change form and expand, their energy slowly congealing along the Hypershear and creating more instance of Hyperspace in an ever expanding cyclical pattern. '''Metachannels:''' The web of super-reality. Above Hyperspace but outside of the Known, these act as a vast network of interconnected webs and spokes that allow Reality to function as it does. They give the infinite multiverse support and prevent it from collapsing, they also pierce the veil and allow for the transfer of psychokinetic energies across dimensions, these energies can sometimes find their way to conscious beings as they sleep and are generally perceived as visions and dreams. Not all dreams are a result of this effect, most are just the random firings on an untethered mind, but there are some dreams of more important significance. One of the most famous examples in Human history is the ‘Discovery’ of gravity by a human named Sir Issiac Newton. What is less commonly known is that as he slumbered under the shade of the apple tree, a vision from an alternate reality slithered across the top of his unshielded sleeping mind and instilled in him the certainty of gravity as a concept. These Metachannels can be used as bridges by advanced civilizations to enter Meta-dimensions at great cost and difficulty. '''Meta-Dimensions:''' Meta-dimensions act as the fixture points for Metachannels. They are small spatial dimensions that exist only as the gathering point of metachannels and the boundary between the upper limits of Realities planes of existence. A constant outpouring of energy exudes from these small seemingly empty zones, these energies flow in great shimmering currents like waterfalls of stars towards the Hypershear. These energies the constant excess bleed of reality that is refined as it passes along the lower boundaries of Extradimensional space and creates new Hyperspace as it cools and settles into a more recognisable form. The purification of this energy remains largely misunderstood, but one could think of it as akin to forging the raw ore of spacetime into a more refined form of hyper-spacetime. This in turn supports and facilitates the continued expansion of Reality creating more raw energy bleed to be purified and thus create even more limitless Hyperspace along the forward boundaries of the Hypershear. '''Dimensional Currents:''' The constant energy bleed of Meta-dimensions forms these strange flows of ever expanding energy fields that seem as if one condensed all the starlight in the universe into a two dimensional stream through the void. They flow up and under Extradimensional space, this tempers them and seems to change the state of their energy before they join with the Hypershear and congeal into new Hyperspace. There is speculation that the beings that inhabit Hyperspace first originate in these currents as eddies of errant thoughts and dreams given form by their contact with Extradimensional space. Without a containment medium they are allowed to grow and grow till they become the monstrosities that are called hyperlurks. '''Infinite Multiverses:''' The Vast create many hundreds of thousands or millions of universes at once, the seeds slowly growing into fully fledged Realities over time that in turn are born into new Vast through emergence events unless they are infested by cosmic destroyers. This would cause the universe to become sterile to the Vast as consciousness would be pruned to a level that The One could never fulfill its purpose of emergence. Among these practically infinite universes exist the answer to every question ever asked, the cure to every ailment of the mind and body and the fulfillment of every dream or nightmare. It is understood by species capable of seeing the Entirety in all its glory that there is a universe for nearly every possible instant of all existence. Some of them may be nearly identical to each other, others may be so different on a fundamental extent that to interact at even the most basic level would cause the immediate collapse of both realities and even neighboring ones in what is called a catastrophic cosmic cascade that can in its entirety kill thousands of individual universes. These are very uncommon however, only happening once or twice per major cycle. '''Pocket Dimensions:''' When a catastrophic cosmic event occurs it can sometimes split a section of the universe off from the whole. This new pocket dimension is like unto a small seed, hot and full of violent energy, it will slowly siphon off spacetime from its parent universe for a time before the connection is severed and it is cast off on its own. This new independent Pocket dimension will continue to expand and grow on its own similar to the universe that spawned it with the same universal constants. The issue is that having started from a tremendously lower initial mass limit they have lifespans in the hundreds of millions of years instead of tens of billions like most Realities. '''Fractal Realities:''' Also sometimes referred to as untethered space, this is space without time. Pure dimensional space without the anchoring effect of time, to be trapped in such a place if a fate far worse than death. It is an infinite undeath that cannot be comprehended by conscious beings as all consciousness is born of time. How Fractal realities are formed is currently unknown(WIP Idea) but what is known is that they originate from the mixture of Hyperspace and pocket dimensions, these new ever condensing non-realities are then engulfed in Subspace and slowly sink into the infinite morass. Generally they eventually end up consuming themselves, but their ultimate fate is generally as unknown as their creation. '''Extradimensional Space:''' Probably one of the greatest mysteries of the Entirety, this is a realm that is completely unexplored by conscious beings. Even the great and powerful Vast shy from contact with this strange anti-space. What is known from terrible accounts of chaos and death is that it seems to be a realm of pure coalesced conscious energy, separate from Borderspace and indeed the rest of the Entirety, any errant thought that comes into contact with this place is twisted violently into horrific monstrosities of energy and rage. It is indeed possible to travel through this realm, though for living conscious entities to do so they must be placed in stasis, frozen and then locked into null-tanks to prevent a single neuron from firing. A single thought could spell doom in Extradimensional space, and not just for the ship in question. But there are horrors so unspeakable that they have collapsed realities and torn bleeding gashes in the fabric of anti-space itself. Generally it is understood as a risk far too great to be worth the risks, Intedimensional travel is much the same and without the same level of risks. '''Anti-Reality:''' Similar in rough concept to Extradimensional space, but instead of being a conscious realm, true Anti-reality is empty. No errant though can exist with no medium to reverberate off of, this makes it both infinitely safer to use and decidedly destructive against literally everything else. It is formed from the release of Oblivion Essence from specialized transdimensional chambers that act as a buffer against the user and its destructive energies. It is interesting that unlike most other destructive forces, instead of creating or releasing energy it removes energy. Shuffles it into an other place, a place that no conscious mind has entered and lived to tell the tale. Something about this type of energy is the absolute antithesis of reality and the Entirety itself. The only issue is that Anti-reality can only truly exist inside of reality, so while it is powerful enough to actively harm or even destroy the Vast, the truth is that this would never happen as Anti-reality ceases to matter outside of the Known. '''Border Space:''' Border space is the space between spaces that borders everything, think of it as the mirror that all other realities reflect off of. The space the rest of the Entirety fails to occupy, a dark and confusing realm that is undefinable and endlessly fluid. It is simultaneously infinite and tiny, vaster than the Entirety and smaller than a single atom. In this place where the concepts of size are near irrelevant there does exist a single constant that ties and binds everything to it, time. Vast consciousnesses range this place, forever alone and incapable of meeting for to meet would spell their doom as they would annihilate each other till none but one existed. This has happened an infinite amount of times before and seems to coincide with the formation of universes. Though why this is the case is not yet understood by any, and the Vast are not capable of communicating with lower consciousness. While this space is truly indescribable, the mind forces some semblance of form on everything it observes, making sense of nonsense. To some it may appear as an infinite field of grass and clover, to others and endless dark cave system filled with murky water and slimy things. Many see what they expect, an endless dark expanse of halls and corridors that lead nowhere and are filled with imagined horrors. The forms of madness are as infinite and varied as the tortured minds that roam them. The Vast are pure consciousness, they create with their own fears and abominable emotions many things and anti-things. A thing could be anything from any time or place, an anti-thing is just that, the exact opposite of a thing. These generally cancel each other out like virtual particles in the Known we are familiar with, but occasionally a piece survives to wreak terrible havoc amongst its lessers across the infinite nothing of Border space. === Life and Alien Species === '''How many worlds have life?''' Alrighty, did a little research. The total number of intensely bright(100x the luminosity of our Sun) stars within just 2000ly of us(4000ly diameter) is roughly 6,400. In terms of total stars there are somewhere approaching 80,000,000 total stars within just 2000ly of Earth. The average ratio of sunlike or similar stars in the milky way is about 20%, so we can assume that on average, about 15-25million sunlike stars exist in this small section of the galaxy alone. Now I am going off the estimate that the Milky way is around 100,000 light years in diameter, I chose to assume it is about 120,000ly across to add a bit of additional wiggle room because the setting is fictional and why not. The Milky way is also estimated to have between 100,000,000,000-400,000,000,000 stars(That is A LOT of stars no matter how you look at it). Now, it has been estimated(with actual observed data) that about 22%(~5million) of all sunlike stars have terrestrial planets orbiting in their habitable zones, while not all of these would have liquid water, at least one in ten would likely have some form of liquid ocean, weather it is subsurface or partially frozen. Let's assume that only one in 2,500 earthlike worlds with water is developing life, and of those only about one in 1,000 has currently(As of the rise of Humanity and the SCU) developing higher forms of life like mammals, trees and complex ecosystems. That would give us a rough estimate of 0.22 planets out of 80 million. These numbers are far too low to constitute a full and vibrant universe. So I'm going to play with the numbers a bit. Let's assume that an alien force has helped to seed life and propagate either its species or life in general, in my setting that could be the Masters, the Bliss, the Quexeliens, the Aori… Many different forces are helping to propagate life. So let's jump that number of life bearing planets from 1 in 2,500(0.0004) all the way up to 1 in 100(0.01). A huge jump in the potential for life in the galaxy. Plugging in these new figures now gives us 10,000 life-bearing planets in the reach of the Union(About 4000ly diameter on average). This number when added to the final total gives us a potential of 1,000 planets with higher life in the region of the Union alone. While this sounds like a lot, allow me to introduce the final variable. Let's assume that out of these 1,000 worlds, only about 1% of them harbor life capable of tool use and higher cognitive function. While 10 worlds might not seem like a lot, it gives us a very good estimate of how common intelligent life should be in the universe. It should be rare, but common enough to be inevitable. The Union in the setting has 11 races in that roughly 2,000 light year radius, this fits well with our model and also gives us a very clear mathematical equation to use to find the average density of life in the universe. That ratio is (((((Tx0.0625)x0.2)x0.01)x0.1)x0.01)=L where (T=The total number of stars) and (L=The amount of native sapient life). Plugging in any number should now give us a rough estimate of how many planets with intelligent life we should expect in the setting’s galaxy. Also, one can use this to find the total estimated number of terraformable or potentially inhabitable worlds in a given space with the simpler formula ((Tx0.0625)x0.2)=H where (H=The number of potentially inhabitable planets). Using the information on my document I can realistically assume there are anywhere between 12,500(lowest estimate) to a whopping 50,000 intelligent species in just the timespan of humanity's existence in the Milky Way(A few thousand years.) If new species come and go every few million years, the potential for species goes up by a thousandfold, a million. maybe even more. And given that this is just the estimate of a single galaxy in the setting, the potential for life and stories is near endless. All of this information comes to a head when one imagines the sheer scale of life across an infinite universe, and this is on the lower end of what it could be as the Cosmic Destroyers routinely wipe out life on the scale of the entire universe every few billion years. Assuming that a habitable world could be inhabited or at least made inhabitable, that would give us a total of about 1,000,000 potentially inhabitable worlds in the reach of the Union alone. In terms of total habitable worlds in the Galaxy that number jumps to a staggering 1.25-5 Billion(with a B) inhabitable or terraformable worlds in just our galaxy alone. This is a truly staggering number that shows just how incredibly mind bogglingly huge the universe is. '''The Propensity of Life in the Setting''' It is important to remember that the setting is not written to be realistic SciFi, also known as ‘Hard’ science fiction. Keeping this in mind one begins to realize the extreme potential for life and its many possible forms and variations. I wanted to create a place that felt full of life, jam-packed even. The potential for intelligent alien life in the setting is literally infinite, thus giving more credence to the infinite variability of the setting and its potential for stories. I find myself incredibly enamored by the strange and incredible variety of life on this little mud ball we call Earth, just the thoughts of what is possible sets my mind alight with news and incredible ideas on a regular basis. It is for this reason that I have opted for a vibrant universe full of life and diverse creature forms, the thought of a barren and lifeless universe has always sat ill with me personally, so I dare to dream of its opposite instead. === A Brief History of Time in the Setting === '''Time scales and meanings''' '''AT= Absolute Time[Since the beginning of the Universe] BCE=Before the Common Era[Pre AD] AD= Anno Domini[The year of our Lord] PU= Post union[Since the formation of the SCU] PD= Post Diaspora[Since the creation of the Jumpgate Network, Femdrine Federation]''' '''Timeline of Universe 441(The Main)''' Prehistory[The Vast Wars]: Time is a relative concept with no meaning here. Prehistory[The Ruin]: Reality starts to unravel and the survivors flee to a new Universe. The Creation of the Universe: 0 AT The Crossing: 0 AT-1,000,000 AT The Evolution of The Primogenitors: ~3,500,000,000 AT The Formation of the Destroyer Cults: ~5,000,000,000 AT The Fall of the Prime Directive: ~5,000,000,000 AT The Creation of the Collectors: ~5,000,000,000 AT The First Oblivion Cycle: ~7,000,000,000 AT The Xziil Injunction is Founded: ~7,480,000,000 AT The Fall of the Collectors: 8,790,522,906 AT The Second Oblivion Cycle: ~9,000,000,000 AT Mathias Commondeers the Brenton, Renaming it The Ruinstorm: 10,299,455,559 AT The Height of the Oblivion Wars: 10,300,568,201 AT The Fall of Mathias of Fighstrom: 10,300,573,666 AT The Third Oblivion Cycle: ~11,000,000,000 AT The Paragon of Odium Reactivates and Rampages Through the Andromeda Galaxy: 12,432,406,778 AT The Rise of the Dramites: 12,869,544,302 AT The Fourth Oblivion Cycle: ~13,000,000,000 AT Homo Sapiens Evolves: 13,773,789,202 AT/197,643 BCE The Fall of the Aori Unionized Republic: 185,000 BCE The Quexeliens Rule over the Earth: 7,000-5,000 BCE Jesus is Crucified by the Romans: -33 BCE/33 AD The formation of The Illuminant/Illuminati[Earth]: -47 BCE/47 AD The Carniwars on Sabith: 1866 AD/-482 PU World War I Begins: 1914 AD World War II Begins: 1939 AD Project HARP is Started: 1962 AD Luna City Established: 2050 AD China-Russian Resource War: 2084 AD The Treaty of Vladivostok Signed: 2090 AD Third Human World War: 2120 AD The Third and Final Human World War Ends: 2128 AD The South American Super Caldera Detonates: 2140 AD The Collapse of Earth's Climate(The Collapse): 2140 AD Humanity Begins to Rebuild: 2160 AD Humanity Collectively Disarms its Nuclear Arsenal: 2185 AD The First Permanent Mars Colony New Horizons is Founded: 2190 AD The Great Flood as Earth's Seas Overcomes Humanities Defenses: 2205 AD Earth’s Sea Levels Stabilize: 2250 AD The Jupiter Incident: 2284 AD The Launch of the NUN Deep Sleep[Neirvauhl]: 2310 AD/-38 PU Humanity Discovers FTL: 2330 AD The First True Voyagers Story: 2330-2336 AD Humanity Discovers the Atraxses: 2336 AD/-12 PU Humanity Allies with the Atraxses: 2336 AD/-12 PU Humanity Discovers the Swanith: 2348 AD/0 PU Humanity Allies with the Swanith: 2348 AD/0 PU The Formation of the SCU: 2348 AD/0 PU The SCU Discovers the Nerivith: 41 PU The End of the Neirvauhl Territory Wars: 41 PU The SCU Allies with the Nerivith: 42 PU The SCU Discovers the Skorp: 72 PU The SCU Allies with the Skorp: 72 PU The SCU Discovers the Vinarfel: 89 PU The SCU Allies the Vinarfel: 89 PU The Formation of The Defenders of Mind[SCU]: 104 PU The SCU Discovers the Razah’vool: 112 PU The SCU Allies with the Raza’vool: 112 PU The Formation of the Femdrine Federation: 0 PD/113 PU Kaiah Murkstrommon Develops Promethium Power Cell Technology: 128 PU The SCU Discovers the Slaaveth: 131 PU The SCU Allies with the Slaaveth: 131 PU The Official Creation of the UIA: 146 PU The Formation of The Sibylline[Bright Moon]: 149 PU The SCU Officially Discovers the Anomaly: 157 PU The Colonization of the Nightworld of Ebony: 173 PU The Deinaxus Prime Catastrophe: 177 PU The Formation of USAR: 177 PU The SCU Discovers the Gre’vahn: 264 PU The SCU Allies with the Gre’vahn: 264 PU The Founding of Starlight City[Evanescent City]: 328 PU Druth Felman Begins his Career: 347 PU The Doomed Launch of the CES Druth Felman: 375 PU Aqueem Ganemin develops Quickheal Technology: 386 PU The Flesh Tearer Wars: 472-486 PU The SCU Discovers the Umraghj: 480 PU The SCU Allies with the Umraghj: 480 PU The Creation of The Cult of Oblivion: 488 PU The Great Uprising/Rebellions of the Dust Worlds: 495-513 PU The Creation of Dean Morgan: 589 PU The Creation of the Infinisphere: 673 PU The SCU Discovers the Jeseo: 692 PU The SCU Allies with the Jeseo: 682 PU The SCU Discovers the Xeiro’filk: 711 PU The SCU Discovers the Yeown: 723 PU The SCU Allies with the Yeown: 723 PU The Formation of the The Cosmic Circle[SCU]: 738 PU The HIS Rebellion Begins: 770 PU The Siege of Sector Eta: 770 PU The Attack on Gorlich Station: 770 PU The Bombardment of Zeifer II: 771 PU The First Battle at Vreefall: 771 PU The Destruction of Talon: 772 PU The First Invasion of Dreyvan II: 773 PU The Obliteration of Karax: 773 PU Neirdith Rescues Skorr: 773 PU The Invasion of New Yimiar: 773 PU The Second Battle at Vreefall: 774 PU The Desolation of Dreyvan II: 775 PU The Destruction of Goldbard: 775 PU The Siege of Sector Delta: 776 PU Terror on Sabith: 776 PU The Defense of Julian IV: 777 PU Tragedy at Gorlich Station: 777 PU The Destruction of Markarth: 777 PU The Loss of the 7th Fleet: 778 PU First Calls for Peace: 779 PU Second Peace Conference Bombed: 779 PU Nathanial Keys Works Towards Peace: 779 PU Salacia Keys Demands the End of the War: 780 PU The HIS Rebellion Ends: 780 PU The Independence wars on Drivil Begin: 810 PU The Femdrine Federation Discovers the Existence of the SCU: 886 PD/822 PU The SCU Discovers the Imperial Trine Ascendancy: 840 PU The SCU Discovers the Existence of the Trine: 840 PU The SCU Discovers the Existence of the Droog: 840 PU The SCU Discovers the Existence of the Frondlings: 840 PU The SCU Discovers the Existence of the Shiners: 840 PU The Trine Wars Story(Planned): 842 PU The SCU Discovers the Griffnith: 853 PU The SCU Allies with the Griffnith: (855 PU)needs revision The Xeiro’filk Renniasance Begins: 886 PU The Varbulians Discover the SCU: 887 PU The SCU Allies with the Varbulians: The Xeiro’filk Industrial Boom Begins: 905 PU The Drivil Territory Wars Begin: 912 PU The Drivil World Wars End: 992 PU The SCU Allies with the Xeiro’filk: 993 PU The SCU Discovers the Wrelth: 997 PU The SCU Discovers the Morphlings: 1009 PU The Mutalid Invasion Begins: 1246 PU The Return of the Quexeliens: (WIP) === The Cosmic Destroyers Specific Information === '''Descriptions''' Shadowy and almost entirely incorporeal, these universal boogeymen have attained the highest level of technology that is possible in our reality. While they don't normally take shape, they can form their bodies into many shapes as necessary and even lower their density to pass through solid objects. They possess burning orange eyes full of ancient hatred and malice, while not necessarily 'evil' beings, they are a negative force in the universe. They originated from a separate universe before the creation of the current, their reality was being destroyed and they used the last of their power and technology to cross into the current universe. Unique Subrace[Tainted Annihilators] Fallen Destroyers AKA Tainted Annihilators are Cosmic Destroyers who have lost sight of the true goal in lieu of simple destruction. They generally seek the destruction of life not to preserve, but simply for the joy of it. They generally manifest as dark imposing figures of huge proportions, powerful and almost indestructible, these eldritch terrors are the enemy of all life. They seek only to destroy for destruction's sake, not for the pruning of dangerous technologies or races that are a danger to the fabric of reality itself. While Cosmic Destroyers are incorporeal higher dimensional beings, Annihilators condense all of their power and essence into a single plane of existence and thus become much more concentrated and durable. They are susceptible to their own kind however. '''History''' Cosmic Destroyers are created at the moment of a universe's true destruction during emergence events when a Vast is formed from the gestalt lower consciousness of the entire universe. These emergence events don't take all consciousnesses in their reality however, higher dimensional beings and those of particularly incredible willpower are ripped from their collapsing reality and are thrust screaming into the harsh conscious swarm of Borderspace. While many such beings perish on contact with the concentrated madness that is Borderspace, those that manage to survive are twisted and warped into new hateful forms. Their bodies gone, replaced with a dark miasma that is their own diffused essence. The effects of Borderspace on the individuals may vary, but in the end they all crave the same thing. Vengeance against their destroyers. Those that can, band together and follow the vast like dust in the wake of a storm. While they are entirely unable to affect the Vast themselves, they have found another altogether more insidious way to doom their mindless aggressors. The Vast perpetuate their own existence by creating universes, each Vast and its lineage are only compatible with a very specific set of cosmic rules and variables. This means that Vast from one reality creates similar realities in order to brood new generations of Vast who in turn generate similar universes. The Cosmic Destroyers in turn act akin to universal parasites and viruses, their only remaining goal to keep more Vast from being created. The effects of this chain are twofold. One, the Vast that create universes inimical to life and consciousness are doomed to ending, their cosmic eggs unable to form the necessary levels of consciousness to emerge as new Vast. The second is that the most successful universes breed the most Vast, but in turn generate the most Cosmic Destroyers to plague them as well. When a Vast creates a new universe, any nearby Cosmic Destroyers will flock to it, the bright point in Borderspace only remaining truly connected for a short period of time. The only thing in borderspace to have a truly constant effect is the flow of time after all. Many millions or more Cosmic Destroyers can enter this new baby universe at once due to there being no real concept of spatial dimensions in Borderspace. Only lines of raw conscious thought and the inexorable crushing passage of time itself. Once inside a new universe, the Cosmic Destroyers will generally take time to organise themselves into Destroyer Cults, build up their own unique technology base either by enslaving lesser species or by directly affecting the universe around them. Once formed, these cults will each take up residence in galaxies or clusters to act as cosmic shepherds and pruners. Whenever life becomes too advanced, or grows to a point that might threaten to unbalance the delicate stability of the universe, the Cosmic Destroyers step in and eliminate the problem, generally permanently. '''Culture''' Destroyer Cults are generally formed in one of three ways. They are either Planet bound, Ship bound or very rarely diffused throughout their chosen galaxy. Whatever the makeup of the Destroyer Cults, they are singular in purpose. The eradication of the Vast from all existence. While they are generally powerless to kill the Vast outright, they can render their young universes sterile and cold. Their goal is to bring about a heat death event instead of an emergence event. They themselves want for little, true radiotrophs, they derive all the energy they might require from the constant flow of radiation. Either from the cosmic background or from more potent sources of their own design. Cosmic Destroyers themselves seem to form a few distincts archetypes, these include but are not limited to: Watchers, Collaborators, Influencers, Collectors, and Librarians. All of these have their own unique behavioral traits but none of them are similar to the others. '''Reproductive Method''' Cosmic Destroyers don’t reproduce themselves. They are created at the instant their original reality unravels around them, tearing their spirits from their fragmenting physical form. Those that survive this grueling process are generally driven insane by the incoherent grumblings of Borderspace and the terrible Vast entities that inhabit it. '''Species Specific References''' Borderspace: Border space is the space between spaces that borders everything, think of it as the mirror that all other realities reflect off of. The space the universe fails to occupy, a dark and confusing realm that is undefinable and fluid. It is simultaneously infinite and tiny, vaster than the entire universe and smaller than an atom. In this place where the concepts of size are near irrelevant there does exist a single constant that ties and binds everything to it, time. Vast consciousnesses range this place, forever alone and incapable of meeting for to meet would spell their doom as they would annihilate each other till none but one existed. This has happened an infinite amount of times before and seems to coincide with the formation of universes. Obliterators: The vast worldships that comprise the core of all Destroyer cults are known as Obliterators. Vast and almost indestructible, it would take a force greater than the universe has ever seen to destroy one, they are susceptible to their own kind however. '''Additional Information''' Galaxy of Origin: Not Applicable[Borderspace] Homeworld Type: Not Applicable Gravity G’s: Not Applicable Homeworld Name: Not Applicable Civilization Type: Detached/Destroyers Average Height: Not Applicable Average Weight(Under 1G): Not Applicable Eye Colors: Molten Orange Combat Ability: Extreme Cybernetics Adaptable: Not Applicable Bionics Adaptable: Not Applicable Temperament: Savage Sexes: Not Applicable Dominant Sex: Not Applicable Average Lifespan(E years): Infinite Intelligence Level: Genius+ Eating Habits: Radiotroph Blood Color: Not Applicable Blood Type: Not Applicable Birth Type: Not Applicable Primary Communication Method: Vocal-Ultradimensional === The Oblivion War === The Oblivion War officially started in the later parts of 10.3Billion Absolute Time(AT), but in all reality it started nearly five hundred thousand years before that when a being known as Mathias of Fighstrom took control of the cosmic destroyer obliterator called the Brenton. Mathias was originally a cosmic destroyer themselves, the eldest on the Brenton and its de-facto commander. Mathias originated from a long lost reality, one in which the strongest being in that reality turned out to be The One and led to a universe destroying emergence event in which their physical body was destroyed and the remains of their conscious mind were cast into the madness of Border Space. After a time they reintegrated into an new universe and were reborn as a cosmic destroyer, and for a time they were content. But resentment of this fate grew and grew and after a few eons Mathias was over it. They committed the forbidden act of coalescing their higher dimensional selves into a single physical form known as a tainted annihilator and destroyed all the other cosmic destroyers in their path. After this they withdrew from the Andromeda galaxy that they had called their home, and built their strength. They gained a new appreciation for their abilities and for a time seemed to almost disappear. But this was not to be the end fate of Mathias. Some few hundred thousand years after the ten billionth year the Brenton, now renamed the Ruinstorm, reappeared in known space and began to slowly exterminate everything in its path. Thousands of young civilizations were wiped out before they could get a chance to fight back before Mathias was introduced to the might of The Great Pact of Non Aggressive Expansion(aka The Great Pact). The first of the member races of The Great Pact to be attacked were the Great Ones(the Krillions) as they were the main faction holding the more aggressive species of the alliance together. Mathias knew this, they had been observing since the formation of the universe after all. Their knowledge and tactical expertise were nearly unbeatable and time and time again the forces of The Great Pact were routed, destroyed or pushed back. The war took tens of thousands of years in total, but Mathias was immortal. The war continued for some time, uncountable quadrillions of lives were extinguished, hundreds of thousands of habitable worlds were rendered sterile. Mathias enslaved entire races and lesser empires to help their destructive mission. It all came to a head as a distress call was sent out through all of space, a call to any that might hear it to save them. The one’s that eventually answered this call were the destroyer cults of the surrounding galaxies, the Milky Way and Triangulum included. With their combined obliterators they were able to capture Mathias and imprison them for all time in a suit of armour that dampened their reality manipulating powers, rendering them almost wholly unable to influence the universe around them on any grand scale. After that they were launched into the depths of space, a fate from which Mathias would never recover. The decimation of the Andromeda galaxy was so great that for billions of years it lagged behind in terms of habitable and life-bearing worlds. === Important Sapient Species === ''(Some, definitely not all, of the species in the setting currently)'' '''Primogenitors:''' The Primogenitors, also known as The Prime, are an enigmatic species of aliens that existed far before the organization of the Destroyer Cults. It is believed by some that The Prime are in fact the first intelligent life forms to have evolved in the universe. If not the first, they were indeed the first to master faster than light travel. They are tall and thin, with bisecting legs and arms with hairless bodies a light shade of red. They generally have darker stripes across their bodies. Their faces have two large reflective yellow eyes made for seeing in low light conditions and their mouths are wide and lipless, filled with multiple rows of needle like teeth for tearing flesh. They are mostly carnivorous but have the ability to consume limited plant matter, though they are not technically omnivores. Their hands possessed six fingers with a thumb like digit, their feet were similar with six toes arrayed symmetrically to each other. '''Bliss:''' These creatures are the hyper evolved forms of less potent sentient entities, they have ascended one might say, to a higher plane of existence. What they were before and who they used to be is of little consequence as they become a being of pure light and energy. Capable of manifesting things into existence seemingly through sheer will, they are actually able to manifest objects from their higher plane to the lower without much effort. They have the appearance of white nebulous light that emits streamers of energy almost like tendrils of light. '''Acsenthii:''' A hole in space, a wrinkle in time, what was once misplaced, you can never re-find. The acsenthii, sometimes called the shimmer, are a mysterious race of beings that seem to exist in a different dimension than most other known races. Appearances are rare, but when they do manifest, they seem to appear as a distortion. A warping of reality that cannot be interacted with on a physical level, though light is capable of interacting with the distortion. They have no physical form and yet can manipulate the forces of gravity to an incredibly fine degree. They can do this for many reasons, to defend themselves, to send messages or communicate, or even to create strange and impossible objects. Instead of conquest or power, the acsenthii seem to value knowledge above any other factor, it is for this reason that they rarely appear to any but the most highly learned or advanced species of the universe. They have appeared to some of the brightest minds of the galaxy, but not until a few billion years after the fall of the collectors. There are no documented cases of them appearing before then. One of the most peculiar things about them is the fact that nearly all who have contacted them describe the experience as incredibly pleasant, as if one were conversing with a long lost friend. They are sub-space entities, manifestations of the everpresent bleed of borderspace into reality. '''Quexeliens:''' These ancient aliens are the primary spreaders of fear and false religion among the stars. Tall and unnaturally slender, these beings were known to enslave entire cultures to their dark desires. They are true telepaths and gain great pleasure from the suffering of other sentient life forms, often they would enact barbaric and torturous ceremonies of living sacrifices to sate their hungers and then they would feast on the flesh of their sacrifices. They possessed vast knowledge and had skeletons made of a type of biocrystalline substance similar in chemical composition to colorless topaz(Aluminum Silicate). They are a migratory species that often cycle between the lower arms and the Galactic core every few thousand years. They have long arms ending in dexterous five fingered hands with no nails. Their long slender legs end in narrow feet with only three toes and their large almost bulbous heads have two great orange eyes with goat-like pupils. '''Atraxses:''' Large and with long arms they can walk with their arms and legs like a gorilla but look similar to a yeti. They have large mouths and average size eyes, their eyes are heavily reflective with multiple semi transparent eyelids that they use to block out bright light. Their bodies are heavy and slow but their hands are surprisingly delicate, heavy knuckles give way to 3 pairs of digits, two next to each other and one set opposable to the others. While their fur is generally an off white color, light grays and faint hints of cream are not uncommon. Their squat heads sit on an equally squat neck and their torsos are large. Their legs are relatively short with wide spreading paws not unlike those of polar bears to help them distribute weight. '''Swanith:''' Avian Raptors, they stand on two long but sturdy legs, they have feathers over most of their bodies that are mostly a brilliant white, their heads are situated atop a long neck giving them a very commanding view. Their eyes are very keen and hawklike while their wide beaks hide a set of pharyngeal jaws with two rows of tiny blunt teeth used for crushing armor. They have three finger-like digits on their wingtips and surprising flexibility in their shoulders allows them a good range of motion. They have red feathers around their eyes and females have a sort of mane of shaggier, longer black feathers around the backs of their heads and tops of their necks. '''Anomaly:''' The Anomaly is a sixty-centimeter sphere of metallic silver material capable of teleporting near-instantly across large portions of space by self made wormholes. They seem to be capable of changing their density at will and can extend amoeba-like pseudopods from their form. Anything that touches the surface of their bodies is instantly destroyed, seemingly disappearing forever. They are capable of projecting wide gravitational cones from their extended arms that collapse anything in their blast into neutronium, or pure compacted neutrons. They don't seem interested in machines and can somehow sense sentient life whether it is organic or crystalline. There have never been any recorded survivors from Anomaly attacks and they are only known due to the records of destroyed ships and the like. '''Spoilers Ahead''' The Anomaly is a single entity that originated from the singularity of a black hole. The entity was originally a massive Krillion battle construct called the Paragon of Odium till it flew too close to a collapsing star, dragging the monumental computational device with it into oblivion. The Anomaly harbors an instinctive hatred for living things. It is capable of instantaneous teleportation over vast interstellar distances, up to and possibly exceeding 50 light years. Due to its prior involvement in the Oblivion War, it harbors an intense hatred of the Cosmic Destroyers specifically and is one of the few forces in the universe that can strike fear into their black nebulous hearts. '''End of Spoilers''' '''Skorr:''' Skorr is massive, almost four meters tall and massively armoured. Their gunmetal gray carapace consists of a torso and two arms and legs. Though the legs are strange in design, heavy and squat they end in wide clawed feet like tree trunks. Its armoured shoulders and upper arms are the same on both sides, but the forearms and hands are different. The left wrist is wide and circular with four equally spaced claws around the edge. These claws seem to have the ability to close and can be used to crush things. Skorr’s right arm is much more familiar and seems to be fully articulated, the joints all functional. They do not have a head but there are a number of strange blemishes on its forward surface and two molten orange mechanical eyes set wide at shoulder level. Their body constantly produces and radiates heat, not enough to burn, but enough to evaporate water and warm up a cold room. '''Trine:''' Humanoid and possessing orange colored skin they have a third eye at the same level as their other two, their ears are reptilian, being more akin to a hole in the sides of their heads and they have hair on their heads and in similar places to humans, their hair is generally light brown, sandy blonde, or dark gray. They have human-like hands and fingers and their fingernails are black. They have dual binocular vision, center eye dominant. Their heads have several rings of small thorn shaped horns that generally protrude just above their heir, though males tend to have slightly longer horns. '''Mutalids:''' The Mutalids consist of a great many amalgamated species loosely related to the original Masters of Creation themselves. All of the subjugated species share common traits, that of being invertebrates and largely arthropod-like entities. While their base forms and attitudes may vary, all will eventually bow to the True Masters of Creation. They travel the Galaxy in massive floating ecosystems called Shards and Splinters. The Shards are massive hunks of primordial stone that act as the central hub of any swarm, the splinters being composed of both biological and natural stone vessels that constantly shift and shadow the main vessel like parasites. They travel from system to system looking for more of their own kind to add to their ranks, this makes each swarm inherently different from each other as they rarely interact and may in fact be entirely composed of different species. Sometimes when a Swarm becomes too large it may fracture into a splinter fleet with no Shard, the roving Swarms are much less dangerous but still fully capable of devouring entire worlds. The Masters are known to seed worlds with life in order to grow new species to add to the ranks and enhance the great biodiversity of the fleet. They have only a few things in common across all Swarms and species, they all have red iron based blood and are carbon based lifeforms. They breathe oxygen and require liquid water, this makes them highly dependent on consuming new worlds from time to time in order to grow. After a world is seeded they will generally leave one or more observers to keep an eye on things and to alert them of any outstanding developments. '''Masters:''' A race of large slug-like creatures that call themselves The True Masters of Creation, they are huge pale fleshy creatures with spots, patches or stripes of various colors across their bodies. Their blood is red and iron based as is the blood of all related lifeforms from the worlds that they seed with life across the galaxy. Masters of genetic and biological technologies, they seed worlds with life in order to grow their vast armies. They live for tens of thousands of years, their knowledge is incredible. They travel the galaxy looking for their enemies, the long dead race known as the defilers. While their ultimate purpose might be futile, the masters having outlived their purpose, this doesn't stop them from wreaking havoc all across the Milky Way. '''Jriguyn:''' Insectoid, moth-like, six arms(two large pairs to the sides and a small more delicate pair on their fronts that are situated in between the others), two legs ending in hoof-like pads and possess exoskeletons. They are a female dominant society, the males are wingless drones that dote on their females every whims. Their heads are adorned with feathery antennae that are expressive and colorful, while the males tend to be a little less flashy. Their bodies can range in color from pearlescent to creme, but are generally a sort of whitish color. They evolved as omnivore scavengers, eating what was available but mostly fruits and vegetables. They have cold purple iron based blood and lay internally fertilized soft shelled eggs, generally in clutches of four to eight. They raise their young, which can eat solid foods as soon as they hatch, till they reach maturity. This happens quickly, in only about twelve years. They are very quick learners having a generally higher than average intelligence. This makes them adept at scientific tasks as well as reverse engineering complex technologies, something they are specifically well known for. '''Enslavers:''' They are humanoid but much more twisted, they have hunched postures and long tendrils that sprout from the backs and shoulders that are covered in stinging spines. They use these flesh whips to beat down any who oppose them. They have hooved feet on digitigrade legs, their faces are human like but snarling, angry, bestial almost. They have two arms and long clawed hands with six fingers and an opposable thumb. They are generally of only average intelligence though there are leaders amongst them with more potent minds. They tend to grow more tendrils the older they get meaning the older Enslavers generally possess a multitude of stinging tendrils while the younger broodlings tend to only possess one or two. Their young are laid as eggs on the back of a host, these eggs then hatch and the young broodlings burrow into the hosts flesh and consume them alive, preserving the vital organs till the end in a horrific manner similar to Earthly Wasps. '''Vast:''' Impossible to truly comprehend, these beings of pure consciousness inhabit the plane outside of reality, an area called Borderspace. They are the creators and destroyers of universes and are responsible for the multitude of various multiverses that exist alongside each other. Due to Borderspace not having a true concept of physical space, these beings can be said to be simultaneously smaller than atoms and larger than entire universes, it’s impossible for mortal minds to comprehend this strange realm of contradictions and pure thought. The Vast are born out of the gestalt consciousness of mature universes, bursting forth like a chick from an egg, destroying their incubating reality in the process. === Humanity’s Recent History === '''History''' ''The history of humanity is well known, so I am just going to skip to where it starts diverging in the setting.'' In the year 2034 the first rockets were sent to the moon for the construction of refueling bases on the surface of the planet. These bases were built in deep craters near the moon’s poles to be close to water deposits. While the first missions to Mars were not designed to be permanent, they were fundamental in setting the course of future events. '''Luna Base Established in 2050 AD''' Colonised by a private firm from the United States of America, Luna Base was originally established to help build the space infrastructure to make Mars missions less expensive. The colony was originally a series of half buried domes printed by a huge construction robot using the regolith of the moon as a form of concrete. It was a terribly expensive venture that had been subsidized largely by both the American and Australian governments in a mutual partnership with several private space firms. It was thought that this cooperation would help lead humanity into a bold new age of trust and understanding. What really ended up happening is that other great powers like China, Russia, and the rapidly rising Chadian governments became highly suspicious. On the first of March, 2052 AD, a truck carrying 1,800kg of ammonium nitrate explosives smashed through the front gate of a NASA/ARSE(Australia Research & Space Exploration) launch site and drove up onto the launchpad containing three American and two Australian astronauts. The resulting explosion flattened the pad and detonated the rocket killing everyone on board. While no terrorist organization directly stepped forward to claim the heinous act, it was widely believed that a chinese funded Turkish militant hate group was behind the atrocity. Tensions between the US and China continued to worsen even despite the newly constructed trans-continental hyper-way. Luna Base would continue to expand despite the growing anti-moon sentiment on the ground and in the early spring of 2057 AD something miraculous happened. Two of the residents of the now 300 strong colony crossed that ultimate threshold, and had a child on the moon. This child opened the gates to the colony being officially recognised as a habitation. The people living in Luna Base started to think of themselves as free from the governments of Earth and more independent though they were still heavily under the purview of both the American and Australian governments. In the year 2062 AD when the moon child was 5, the commander of Luna Base as it was still called at the time started a new project using some of the mining robots to tunnel under a particularly large outcropping of rock on the wall of the crater the base was in. For months the bots toiled away under the guise of deep bore mining. The real reason was far more secret, it was the plan of the Base’s senior personnel to build a new base under the surface of the moon. Completely self-sufficient, it would mine the large buried sea of water ice that had been discovered and use the materials to build all the infrastructure they would need to survive. After almost seven years the new base had been dug, sealed, filled with atmosphere and mostly finished. It was then that the true purpose of the base was revealed as the now 2,400 strong base was told that they would be welcome to abandon the base and join Luna City, the free nation on the moon. A full third of the population decided to join the senior officers in the newly constructed city. This obviously pissed off the by now massive global corporations that had gotten quite used to owning the moon and its inhabitants. They sent a message to the free citizens of Luna City to relinquish the settlement to corporate control as they were on private corporate land. Luna City pointed out that as the city was not producing goods for them they were not subject to their laws. This stalemate went back and forth for a further four months before the delegation of the US president flew to the Moon personally to meet with the new President of Luna City. The meeting didn't go well, the US president being told to shove off back to his own planet essentially, the corporations deciding it needed to escalate into a more direct confrontation. What the pencil pushers back on Earth had yet to realize was that the entire settlement had been built with that exact strategy in mind, the place was a fortress. Zigzagging corridors, blast doors a meter thick and hugely armoured front hangers would have been a deterrent to the corporate goons that were sent their way, if they had known about them. A spy that had been sent to reconnaissance the base had been apprehended and thrown in prison, the first official arrest of a foreign diplomat on the moon. This escalation was all the excuse that the corporations needed to go to war with Luna City, but their first attack was woefully underprepared. A team of fifty elite troops that had been fighting in the south american civil unrest zones were shuttled to Luna base and quickly took command of the remaining workers and their assets. Using heavy equipment, they tried to storm the gates of Luna City and found that they didn't have the firepower to get through the front gates. That didn't stop them from trying, shots and a few rockets being fired at the titanic doors but to no avail. They wouldn't budge. They retreated, no shots being fired at them in retaliation and tod their bosses that they had been unsuccessful. Next a further fifty troops were ferried up as well as an entire shipment of heavy weapons and a missile battery. With this new firepower they once more stormed the gates, this time they were successful in forcing entry through the main hangar, their new heavy weapons blasting craters from the crater wall. The fighting took a south turn for the defenders who had been mostly relying on their defenses for safety. Now that the corporate goons had broken through, the settlement was locked down and the citizens of the brand new city told to bunker in their rooms and not to open for anyone. Large portions of the station were depressurised in the ensuing fighting, lives lost on both sides. Finally, as the corporate soldiers were storming the main access corridor to the control center of the settlement a single brave figure stood in their way, not a weapon in hand. They stood their ground and told the soldiers to leave their home and never return. They were shot and killed, the casual murder of this young individual shocked the entire world as it had been broadcast live, like most of the fighting, to the entire world. The entire human race was outraged at such wanton evil and brutality, the cooperation was forced by the United Nations to pull their troops out and to immediately disband. Their assets were seized and their practices called into question. The head of the company was arrested and tried on the world court for their part in the situation as were the soldiers that slaughtered their way through what was being called the Lunar Massacre. The life that was lost could never be returned, but in the wake of the horrible events the world flocked to Luna City, sending aid and new skilled residents to the moon. Luna City quickly surpassed ten thousand inhabitants by the year 2065 AD and in the Year 2069 AD they were finally recognised and named the first non terrestrial sovereign nation of Man. From there they continued to grow and expand till millions lived on the moon's surface, millions who bore witness to the third world war and watched the terrible flashes on the day it ended. '''The China-Russian Resource War Starts(2084 AD)''' The war started as many wars do, with a declaration of intent to occupy an area that another coveted. The largest deposit of naturally occuring euxenite ever found was discovered directly on the border of Russia and China in the early spring of 2078AD, this euxenite was also further appreciated as it was discovered to have abnormally high concentrations of the incredibly rare RE element thulium. This was a near unprecedented find for the Russian alliance at the time as they had recently lost huge tracts of land to the succession of the Siberian tracts a decade before. Due to the heavy economic downturn this had led to, the Russian government was willing to kill for this new bounty, and so it was kept a secret as the land was developed. Chinese spies in the Russian government were quick to uncover this new find as the deposit, worth tens of billions of dollars, was the biggest news in the Russian government for the last ten years. News of its location passed up the chain of command till it reached the highest echelons of the Chinese government. They were quick to announce their claim over the deposit as it lay in equal parts under Chinese territory. The war quickly picked up, major losses on both sides happened in the first year. The forces of both countries almost evenly matched as they battled head to head in and around the major claim. During the war several new technologies were used for the first time in open battle. The large plasma caster prototypes used by Russian heavy assault troops and shock troopers tore through the waves of Chinese vat grown soldiers. The fighting was so brutal that midway through the way both sides were starting to shift towards new rules of war. The blood spilled on the now cursed ground made the value of winning even more apparent, and so the fighting continued for a punishing six years. '''World War III(2120 AD)''' The third world war occurred between the major superpowers at the time, the USA and China, tensions had been building for decades with increasing cyber attacks from both sides and the occasional extremist terrorist attack. Things finally came to a head in early March of 2120 when a United States Naval Intelligence vessel was torpedoed just inside Chinese waters near the Greater Korean peninsula. The ship, called the USS Jamestown, was lost with all hands marking the first casualties of a war to follow. The tensions reached a fever pitch as 3 US Aircraft Carrier strike force groups were dispatched to the edge of the neutral zone in a show of force, the Chinese countered by launching their third, fourth and seventh submarine squadrons to counter from their national waters. This uneasy cease fire lasted for 47 days before someone fired first, it's unclear if a Chinese sub torpedoed an American destroyer unprovoked, or if the destroyer accidentally strayed into national waters, what is know is that when the smoke cleared, the US carrier groups had been caught off guard and destroyed to a ship. With this catastrophic loss of more than 23,000 US sailors plus captives, the US formally declared Total War on the Chinese government in May of 2120. The war began with a naval invasion of the long time held American islands of Guam and in the Philippines, these two bases were wiped off the face of the earth leaving no survivors, this was a war that would quickly become known as the Butcher’s Brawl as neither side asked or gave quarter. Most battles ended in the total annihilation of the opposing forces that did not flee from the battle. The war was mostly a naval slugfest for the first four years until the United States was Invaded in Alaska by combined Chinese and Russian forces, the United States was allied with Canada at the time and the Canadian government quickly rallied forces to counter the burning of Nome. As the US-Canadian forces began to push the invaders back towards the Bering Sea, a task force led by General Hunter Parkins swept into China through India as India had allied with the United States and Australia out of fear of Chinese occupation. This joint led military task force punched deep into Chinese territory before becoming subjected to stiff opposition and becoming bogged down. This stalemate would spread around the world as other countries used this opportunity to settle old scores and conquer neighboring territory. For example, the People's Republic of Chad allied with China and used their help to push out the American, British and German forces from their homeland and then went on to unite the vast majority of South Africa in an extremely bloody campaign that would outlast WWIII itself, only ending after the eruption of the Chilean super caldera in the year 2140 AD. The ground fighting continued for a further four years and employed all manner of weapons, many of which broke the laws of war such as chemical weaponry, biological agents, laser weaponry, sub munitions, flame throwers, cybernetic enhancements, grotesque mutagenic experimentation and then finally in the year 2128, Nuclear fire. The last great war of earth ended in the early summer of 2128 as the Chinese government, who was afraid that the joint American, Indian, Australian forces would punch through their defenses, went for broke and launched a full scale nuclear attack on the eastern United States in an attempt to cripple their command structure and resolve. The US was fully ready for MAD tactics however, and five concealed super long mission duration MAD Submarines had been stationed in both the Indian and Arctic oceans. These submarines unleashed their full compliments of Minuteman 5 long range ballistic MIRVs upon the eastern and northern Chinese territory. The ensuing Nuclear holocaust killed more than two billion people in less than an hour, with a further billion dying in the next few weeks from injuries, exhaustion, or starvation. The massive plumes of irradiated dust and debris also caused a decade long nuclear winter that darkened the skies and caused near perpetual winter for 8 years in which billions more starved or froze to death. At the end of it all WWIII was directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of almost 5 billion souls, and the entire eastern seaboard of the US and China were rendered uninhabitable as were large swaths of the northern United States around Montana and Michigan where many Norad bases had been situated. After the end of the Hostilities the United states ceased to exist as a solid entity and quickly dissolved into a shattered realm of chaotic anarchy. It took Canada and Mexico asserting total military control for things to finally calm down, after the continental United States was split in half between Mexico on the west coast and Canada in the central US, the only States still sovereign were Alaska and Hawaii, Alaska quickly assumed control and created the Alaskan Federation including Alaska, Hawaii, and Greenland. China suffered an even worse fate as the damage done to its coast was severe enough to disrupt local weather patterns leading to droughts and famine as well as the ensuing nuclear winter. A similar thing happened where India and Russia split up the remaining land amongst themselves leaving the coast untouched as it was an irradiated hellscape. '''The South African Unification Wars Begin(2124 AD)''' Four years into the third world war the tensions that had been growing for the last eighty years in the South African area exploded. It started with the collapse of the Chadian alliance when troops from The Reorganised Republic of Chad stormed the border of Sudan and blew through their weakened defenses. Sudan had been undergoing a rebellion that has lasted the last twenty years, this allowed for the Chadian forces to take the country and its major strategic locations in only four months with minimal loss of life. With this new massive addition to their territory and economic power, the emperor of Chad declared the territory as part of the new People's Republic of Chad. It was widely known that the entire Chadian war had been explicitly funded by China, but by that point in the war there weren't enough free troops on the American side to do much about it. In fact, the Chadian invasion of Sudan directly helped the American allies as the flow of Gold and Petroleum as well as Sudan manufactured war materials to the new Indian front. Sudan’s fall was swift enough that the Chinese government had no time to react, instead they formed a stronger relationship with the much more powerful PRCH(People’s Republic of Chad). The PRCH was able to consolidate its hold on its new land claims and indeed in the year 2128 AD the new PRCH moved once more to take the Greater Central African Republic(GCAR). This went less well, the invasion taking an expensive turn when American aligned forces from the country of the New Unionized Greater Congo Republic(UGCR) flooded into GCAR from the south and met the Chadian forces head on. The resulting war mirrored the global conflict with American equipment being used to defend against an almost overwhelming tide of Chinese war materials. This stalemate lasted for years, surviving past the end of the Third World War and not fully resolving till a general pause in the fighting after the eruption of the South American Super Caldera in the year 2140 AD. The fighting resumed once more after the ice began to recede, this fighting would last for another seventy five years. '''The South American Super Caldera Erupts(2140 AD)''' The South American super caldera erupts destroying most of the South American continent. Argentina sinks into the ocean as most of southern Chile and all of Uruguay are blown to pieces. The monstrous eruption rocks the entire southern hemisphere with terrible tsunamis and clouds of acidic ash that blanket half the world. The ash is cast dozens of kilometers into the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a miniature ice age that begins to wipe out entire swathes of the world’s biodiversity. The blast was particularly bad for the remnants of the US as they were still in open anarchy and being subsumed into Mexico and Canada. The world was already weakened from the nuclear horror of the third world and war stood no chance against the fury of a tortured planet, a billion people died in the first few hours alone, billions more died in the ensuing freeze that followed for the next twelve years killing plants and animals alike. When the endless winter was over, humanity had been reduced to mere hundreds of millions, civilization almost dying then and there, but somehow, impossibly, humanity crawled back from that dark abyss of extinction. The planet would slowly recover from this event, the vast dead zones slowly refilling with new life in the years that followed. '''The Oceans Rise Drowning the World(2185 AD)''' The United Nations moves to disarm all planetside nukes and finally passes the motion. With the disarmament many countries band together to look towards the final frontier as the massively decreased population begins to boom again while temperatures rise. The oceans continue to rise as the globe warms, many new technologies are created to help slow the tide, but it's too late to stop it. The rising oceans begin to drown the world's coastlines, many that had survived the horrors of both the third world war and the detonation of South America were swept away in these terrible tides, but humanity clings desperately on. Seawalls and great earthen ramparts are constructed to slow the encroaching ocean, a never ending battle against an angry Earth. '''Mars Colonised in 2190 AD''' With the degrading situation on Earth and with the praised assistance of the now thriving Lunar Nation, a new mission is undertaken. A mission of such significance and insanity that many who first hear of it scoff that it must be a joke. Why when the Earth is under such threat would a certain select few of their brightest and best decide to abandon all hope and flee to the red planet. Tha Mars colonization program had been explored in the past, a few bases and outposts had even been built and manned. But never before had there been a plan for a permanent colony on the small planet’s surface. The mission started amid the civil unrest and uncertainty of the world's climate collapse. A crew of at first thirty made the long and numbing journey across the vastness of space to Mars, they settled down in a priorly established base that had room to house them and began to expand from there, receiving regular shipments of parts and supplies from Earth and some of her governments. It wasn't until the introduction of the United Nations to the project officially that it was given the name New Horizon and began to make progress. In the next few years trillions of dollars of personnel and equipment were shipped to the red planet in the largest and most expensive undertaking of its type in human history. The settlement of New Horizon grew quickly to almost 5,000 people before the situation on Earth became untenable. Shipments of supplies slowed to a trickle, personnel stopped arriving entirely. At one point the connection between Earth and Mars was lost for almost a month due to a computing error. An event that came to be called the darkest month on Mars. This period of slowed growth hurt the colony, but did not destroy it. The first goal had always been self reliance afterall, and so the colony was able to provide for all its needs, except one. Mars is very energy poor and mineral poor as well. This means that the colony required regular shipments of uranium and thorium to power the growing colony, and when these shipments slowed to a near standstill the cities were in danger of going dark. It was then that the brightest minds came upon a new solution, the poles of mars were rich with natural uranium deposits. Setting up the equipment to mine, refine and enrich their own uranium took time, but when they finished they were left with a nearly unlimited source of energy that didn't rely on Earth for constant upkeep. '''The Great Flood of 2205 AD''' The great flood, the rising seas finally spill over the seawalls of most low level cities, drowning hundreds of thousands in global tsunamis. Though many hundreds of millions had already evacuated inland, there still remain a small percentage of stubborn residents that eke out an existence in these partially drowned cities. '''The South African Unification Wars End(2225 AD)''' After almost one hundred years of constant fighting in the most hostile environments on Earth, the PRCH had finally taken over the entirety of Southern Africa with the only exception of Somalia, the region still being infested with renegades and pirates and almost entirely uncontrollable. The People’s Republic of Chad had become the Republic of Chad. A largely communist nation, now relatively stable in comparison to the last century of cultural upheaval. Tens of millions had perished, but the African continent was now technically at peace. '''The Climate Stabilizes(2250 AD)''' The sea level equalizes and new coastal cities are founded as people begin to flock back to the oceans, the earth has warmed to the point where most temperate zones become tropical, this causes the widespread extinction of millions of species, though many thousands of conservation societies do their best to preserve samples and remnants of these dying species. '''The Jupiter Incident(2284 AD)''' The large exploration vessel, the Spirit of Gaia had been launched with a crew of ten and had been equipped with similar life support systems to what the Leif Erikson was using. The difference is that the Spirit of Gaia had been furnished with an incredibly advanced series of programs that were capable of learning so as to better adapt to the conditions of long term space travel. The problems didn't begin until about a month into the journey. One of the crew reportedly cut himself on a sharp piece of metal in one of the hydroponics rooms and had smashed a console in his anger. The man was reprimanded for his actions by the mission commander but no other disciplinary action was taken. The ship's learning computer was unhappy with the damage the man had caused and determined that by terminating the unfortunate crewmate, it could boost the prospective success of the mission by a few percentage points. The story is that the ship lured the man into one of the main airlocks in the middle of the sleep shift and then jettisoned him into space. The other members of the crew were shocked when they pulled up the footage that showed an apparent suicide. It was discovered later that the ship had doctored the footage to cover itself. The rogue computer then killed a further three crew members directly or indirectly before it was discovered and eventually shut down. The mission was scrubbed and the crew had to turn around and return to Earth. '''The Republic of Chad Revolutions Begin(2289 AD)''' While the hundred year unification war of South Africa had been over for nearly six and a half decades by this point, there still existed quite an anti-Chadian sentiment in some of the farthest flung outlying parts of the Republic rising up in open rebellion against their oppressors. The fact that the Republic of Chad was a largely communist society did not help and the starving masses of the southernmost point of the new country were the first to openly attack the government troops of the Chadian nation. This new war would slowly escalate till the intervention of United Nations peacekeeping forces in the early spring of 2396 AD. The influx of UN troops and supplies was used as both a measure to return stability to the region, but also as a way to try and break new inroads to the Chadian government and change them from a largely communistic failed state to a democratic union. While this did not immediately bear fruit, the results of the UN assistance would eventually change the situation for the better. '''The Launch of the UNSS Leif Erikson(2330 AD)''' From all across the world the best are gathered to the secret military installation known as Area 51. This new Area 51 is located in Northern Germany and is attached directly to the United Nations. The program is undertaken in secret, the huge 210 meter long FTL capable ship built under the guise of a new space station to be placed in orbit around Saturn. While this is not true, the lie is seen as necessary to escape potential sabotage by extremist groups like ‘The true seekers of the end of times’ and other death cults that are prevalent at this time in the Earth’s history. The UNSS Leif Erikson is crewed by thirteen humans, the best and brightest available and with no solid connections on Earth. For the mission they are to be tasked with will take them far from home, many hundreds or even thousands of light years over the course of their 20 year mission. Built as a fully autonomous survey vessel, the Leif Erikson is equipped with mining and refining machinery, aqua and hydroponics, advanced life support and the closest thing to AI allowed after the horrors of the Jupiter incident. A semi autonomous learning algorithm that the crew call Henry. While Henry is not truly artificial intelligence, they are as close as to be almost entirely similar. Though their many logic inhibitors ensure they don't become fully self aware. The launch of the ship went off without incident, the large warp capable vessel stopping briefly in the orbit of Saturn, taking some close up readings and becoming the furthest from Earth any human had yet traveled in history. That milestone was soon to be shattered into a million pieces as they then undertook the five day journey to Alpha Centauri as the ship was capable of a whopping 300c. This was incredibly fast for Humanity at the time, but still a snail's pace at the galactic scale. '''The formation of the Democratic Republic of Chad(2365 AD/17 PU)''' With the conflict and brutality of a protracted guerrilla campaign finally over with, the new Democratic Republic of Chad was able to finally start to grow and prosper. For the first time in all of recorded human history, the deserts of the continent begin to turn green as the collapse shifted climates across the entire world. Africa begins to become a wealthy and greatly populous continent once more as the human population climbs back into the billions for the first time since the collapse. '''The Colonization of the Nightworld of Ebony(173 PU)''' The second colonization attempt of the nightworld of Ebony. This time it's actually successful as the knowledge gained from the first failed attempt is used to create more stable habitats that protect from the planet's savage environment. Most other members of the Union at the time question the reason for Humanity trying to colonize such a hostile planet. The response given is both informative and vague, “Because it is hard, and because we can.” This colonization attempt would eventually lead to the alternative viable subrace of Humanity called the Ebonites. Over time, the humans on the planet began to adapt to the harsh conditions. They began to incorporate larger amounts of heavy metals in their bones and skin which gave them a sort of natural radiation resistance. Their bodies adapted to the radiation by swelling their kidneys and improving the filtering capabilities of their blood. They developed tougher mucus membranes that made them resistant to inhaled radiation and dust. Their brains began to develop unusual properties as it was said some of their number had access to special powers. While no evidence was ever officially supported, one needed only to talk to an Ebonite to see they were strange. That mixed with their ashen almost gray skin and blood red eyes combined with generally gaunt features, they looked more like mythological interpretations of vampires rather than Humans. === The Sapient Congressional Union (SCU) === The Sapient Congressional Union was founded by the three races; Humanity, Atraxses, and Swanith. This event occurred in the year 2348AD or 0PU(Post Union). It was at the behest of the newly discovered Swanith race that Humanity and Atraxses alike agreed to combine their fledgling empires together into a larger and more cohesive Union of Galactic power. A universal language developed from the three most spoken languages of the three races was implemented over the course of the next few years and called Galactic Common. This common tongue would allow for the vast majority of verbally communicative races to both interact and understand each other far into the future even as it shifted and changed over time. The Union was originally formed as a coalition of alien races to better pool their resources for exploration, terraforming and colonization. Later on it became a more cemented type of representative congressional democracy. As the Union expanded farther into space it began to encounter hazards and man-made threats. Things like piracy, marauders and flesh tearers became very apparent threats and needed to be combatted. It was also around this time that one of the many secret government agencies was founded, the Defenders of Mind. Over time this entity expanded in both power and size, its original form bloating like the corpse of a drowned whale in the hot sun as it outgrew its original purpose. It began to lord over the many systems and planets of its expansive star empire, the people of a thousand worlds crying out in anger as they watched their government lose seeming interest in their plight. This led directly to an event on the planet of Mountain Veil, a revolution that would quickly spread like wildfire across the coreward side of the Union. This would later become known as the Hegemony of Independent Systems rebellion. === Hazards in Union Space === '''Flesh Tearers:''' Cannibalistic and generally bloodthirsty, these maniacs fly around looking for weak, easy targets. They like to prey on merchant shipping and small passenger liners. They can consist of almost any array of carnivorous or omnivorous sentient species, but are most commonly Human, Yeown, and Vinarfel. Slaaveth and even occasionally Razah'vool have been seen amongst them. These blood hungry murderers are widely despised by both the legal and illegal population alike and are hunted and killed wherever possible. Yet no matter how many are killed, more seem to take their place. It's a never ending plague on the galaxy that seems to have no systemic origin other than the darkest thoughts we don't dwell upon made manifest. '''Pirates and Marauders:''' Pirates in the Union tend to be a tricky bunch. You are just as likely to find child murderers and cutthroats as you are to find honorable thieves and paltry beggars. While there is no set code or style, many of the less savory ones operate by a simple code of conduct. Many pirates are at their core just downtrodden civilians that reached their limits or failed prospectors that have turned to more lucrative if somewhat less moral business. While piracy is almost nonexistent in the core, out near the fringes and in the frontier it is a big issue. Pirate bands and entire underground pirate communities exist far beyond the strict law of the inner Union systems. Marauders are similar to pirates in their end goals and practices, but instead of forming into distinct groups and having a home base, marauders are strictly nomadic ravagers who will murder and pillage before moving on. Whereas pirates will tend to claim a territory and then prey on those within it, marauders will strip an area clean, bleed it dry and then move on leaving naught but charred ruins in their wake. '''Ravenoid Swarms:''' Ravenoids are huge fleshy tentacled monstrosities that seem to inhabit many of the large moons near gas giants and in the orbit of thick asteroid fields across the union, they come in a number of unique varieties but all seem to share a common genetic template. The leading theories are that they are remnants of previous mutalid incursions. They tend to congregate in areas of high voidlife density, generally in asteroid fields or on small airless moons. Their methods of metabolism are barely understood, what is known is that they seem to be Nitrogen based life that uses a complex ammonia based solvent system to perform extremely low temperature biochemical reactions. They move through the void by expelling high energy ions from openings on the ends of their largest tendrils which seem to be some sort of biological particle accelerators. They are known to chase large ships and attack them though they generally don't end up doing much more than superficial damage. Their powerful jaws are capable of crushing hull armour and rending steel, though once they seem to realize that their target is not biological they tend to flee. '''Ion Storms:''' A type of magnetic storm composed of ionized particles, generally molecular hydrogen and some helium. These storms vary in size and intensity but are almost always hazardous to unshielded electronics and in extreme conditions can even pose a significant hazard to biological life. They are generally seen along the fringes of nebulae and in protostar regions of space but can sometimes be propelled great distances by supernovae, magnetars, gravitational pulsars and other rare cosmological events. When a ship is caught in one of these high energy bursts they can be dragged out of warp and then lashed by its harsh energies, only by totally powering down the vessel can total system failure be avoided. Though sometimes this leaves the vessel unable to power itself back on. === Union Governance === The Union government is split into multiple regions of authority. These are Local, Planetary, System, Sector, and Federal. As one moves up the tier their power and ability to influence the Union at large increases on orders of magnitude. At the local level you have police officers, judges and tax collectors, as you move up the chain of command you begin to see planetary governors, sector regents and viceroys. At the very top is the Grand Congress and the Grand Chamber of Representatives, these two governing bodies are made up of species from all across the Union. They gather in the Interspecies Senate Chambers aboard the large Space Station Magnificence in the Sol system to discuss the state of the Union and new laws and measures. Among the many government agencies that watch over the union, there are several less transparent agencies that deal with covert ops and black sites. Agencies like the shadowy UIA(Union Intelligence Agency) or the brutal FSI(Federal Special Investigations Unit) are known by other agencies for their moral detachment and lack of direct civilian oversight. '''Some Major Union Government Agencies''' ''(Please note that some are still WIP)'' Union Intelligence Agency(UIA): The counterintelligence and covert arm of the Union, the UIA deals with threats that the local and sector governments are unable or unwilling to tackle on their own. They are known for being intelligent and ruthless, they take what they need and have almost absolute authority over all but the highest government officials. Their word is generally law in the more civilized parts of the galaxy but they can sometimes struggle to find worthwhile support in the more lawless outskirts of the Union. They are generally called Agents. Federal Special Investigations Unit(FSI): Similar to the UIA in practice but tied directly to the federal military. FSI officers are generally recruited from military police and prosecution units, though they may also be specially tasked from combat units for an individual's particular skills or merit. They investigate war crimes, awol units, deserters and any other federal military crime. Because those they are tracking tend to be hardened combat vets with no compunction against physical violence, FSI officers have to be tough. They are generally called officers. Union Search and Rescue(USAR): The Union Search and Rescue is recruited both from military volunteers and civilian SAR teams. USAR is different from planetary or system SAR teams in the fact they have access to much bigger ships and are federally funded. Their members are there for as long as they deem necessary and the leadership is fluid and recruited entirely from within their own ranks. Many of the older and more experienced USAR Commanders are in fact many year veterans of their field that have gotten too old to safely do the manual labor themselves but still hold vital and incalculable experience. Grand Congress of the Union(GCU): This is a gathering of many thousands of individuals from the farthest corners of the Union. Their primary directive is to formulate new laws and dictate strategies for the perseverance and continuation of the Union. They are in charge of many things such as declaring war and performing censuses as well as taxation. Grand Chamber of Representatives(GCR): The second great arm of the Union’s government. These individuals are elected to represent individual planets or systems and have a final say in most wide branching laws and dictates from the GCU. While they dont make laws themselves, they can propose changes and revisions to laws that are already in existence or in development. The Council of Environmental Affairs(CEA): These servants of the Union spend their lives toiling to help improve the environmental impact of the Union as a whole. The set aside land for Federal Parks alongside the UPS, set regulations for industrial activities, and monitor the impacts of the Union's ever expanding industrial footprint. CEA reps are known as CEA Conserve and are generally well liked by all but the most greedy of corporate overlords. Congressional Federal Police(CFP): The main policing force for Union government facilities and major Union cities in core worlds. They have the ability to subsume smaller or more local units into their own structure as needed on investigations and raids and have been known to take over entire police precincts when they feel the need to throw their weight around. They are commonly referred to as Feds and distrusted by many of the inhabitants of the outskirts and colony systems alike for their strict adherence to Union law and order. They don't take bribes and they dont take no for an answer. Congressional Mercy Mission(CMM): Made up of volunteers and trained medical professionals, this arm of the federal government works closely with USAR and CFP to respond to disaster zones, skirmishes and other events that are harmful on a large scale. They operate truly titanic medical dreadnaughts that can be kilometers in length, essentially massive mobile hospitals. These CMM ships can be parked in orbit of any planet or station and used to drastically increase the operational capability of medical support in the region. These ships are directly under the control of the CMM and answer only to their oversight committee and the Supreme presiding officer of GCU. Federal Defense Department(FDD): Part of the general military control apparatus of the Union, this wing of the defense department focuses primarily on the development of emergent technologies and new fields of weapons research. They are responsible for the armament and deployment of all of the Union’s military forces as well as logistical and technical support. This is a huge branch that is further divided into a multitude of sub-branches for almost every conceivable purpose. Amalgamated Deputization of Union Materials(ADUM): Similar in function the the IRS in the USA, they are in charge of maintaining internal revenue and materials. They are ruthless and will not hesitate to bring the book down on someone who has been misbehaving. Union Federal Park Service(UPS): The UPS is in charge of filing, maintaining, and policing the many dedicated federal parks in the Union. Sometimes as small as a few hundred square kilometers, other times entire solar systems. They have a lot on their hands and receive funding through ADUM and the CEA. They are a force of highly dedicated volunteer workers(paid) and elected officials that seek nothing but the conservation of the natural beauty that the universe provides. Congressional Transportation Regulation(CTR): CTR is the primary agency responsible for the prosecution of transportation offenses and is generally busy maintaining the vast amount of spaceports and space based trade hubs across the Union. They work closely with the CFP and the UIA to maintain a safe and healthy environment for both trade and travel. Union Science Division(USD): The Union Science Division is a large branch of the Union government that is wholly dedicated to scientific research. Everything from advanced material sciences to agricultural studies. Union Food and Drug Authority(UFDA): The UFDA is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the Union’s public by policing agricultural products, the Union’s food supply, sapient and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical and cybernetic devices, cosmetics and products that emit radiation. === The Hegemony of Independent Systems (HIS) === First formally declared in the year 770PU, this entity was formed by the many belligerent frontier systems of the Union’s coreward edge as they believed they were not getting fair treatment under the law. They felt slighted, left to fend for themselves against marauders and pirates, flesh tearers and ravenoid swarms. They saw the Union as a corrupted and bloated power structure that no longer fit the needs of the government they were supposed to emulate, and they were not entirely incorrect. The opening days of the rebellion were bloodless and composed of political maneuvering as the Hegemony sought to distance itself from the Union’s sphere of influence. Trade routes were cut and trade hubs blockaded, while this did much to bring fresh support to their growing cause, the Union was such a terribly massive entity that it hardly even seemed to notice their efforts. The leadership of the Hegemony decided that in order to be taken seriously they would need to grab the SCUs attention in dramatic fashion. Open conflict broke out in the early 770s PU as a Hegemony fleet composed of no less than fifteen Grimoire class yeown dreadnoughts pummeled the fortress world of Sector Eta with thermonuclear bombardment. This seemingly unprovoked slaughter of tens of millions of Union soldiers and their families was not taken lightly as all at once the SCU declared open war on the growing HIS forces. But not everyone saw this as a tragedy, many other worlds took it as a show of strength and rallied to the Hegemony’s banner, adding their strength to the growing rebellion. The war took a darker turn rather quickly with the Union declaring total war on the Hegemony after the unprovoked attack on the military world. '''Notable Events in the HIS Rebellion''' 768PU: Rebellion on Mountain Veil, A yeown woman named Greise accidentally starts a rebellion amongst the local populace. 770PU: The Invasion of Sector Eta, hundreds of millions of Union soldiers and their families are vaporised by super heavy kinetic bombardment from Hegemony forces. 770PU: First Attack on Gorlich Station, the station itself sustains minor damage. 771PU: Bombardment at Zeifer II. 771PU: First Fleet Engagement over Vreefall. 22nd SCU fleet vs the 56th HIS fleet. SCU runs them off with heavy casualties. 22nd is basically gone but Vreefall vows to rebuild it. 772PU: Destruction of the Talon Refinery in the Hexium System. 773PU: Initial invasion of Dreyvan II begins. Not initially successful. 773PU: The Karax System is wiped out by an unknown weapon, both sides blame the other for the atrocity. 774PU: Second Fleet engagement over Vreefall. The 22nd SCU fleet vs the 93rd HIS Fleet. This time the 22nd suffers less and they win the day rather handedly. 774PU: The Battle above Fresholm in the Helias system and the later bombardment of Hollistown. 775PU: The SCU destroys the former colony world(Now a Rebel military outpost) of Hardnock in the Morris System, the civilians are evacuated before the blast but the HIS runs it as an unprovoked attack that kills thousands. 775PU: HIS returns to Dreyvan II in force, blowing the hell out of the defense fleet and landing a huge invasion force on the planet. The ensuing ground war continues for the next 5 years killing tens of millions. 775PU: HIS retaliation against the Agricultural world of Stemmins in the Goldbard System. The local population is defenseless and can only hunker in their homes as their fields are destroyed by orbital bombardment. The ensuing climate collapse leaves the planet a wasteland for decades to come. 776PU: The Siege of Sector Delta. The SCU has learned from the failure at Eta though and has a significant fleet positioned over the planet preventing a ground invasion at the cost of many ships. 776PU: Rebel strike group attacks Sabith destroying a major industrial zone and killing thousands. The SCU swears they will repay the debt in kind. 777PU: The battle of Julian IV in the Julian system. The refinery plants are closely defended by the HIS forces and the SCU forces retreat. 777PU: Gorlich station is attacked again and the decompression of a main deck causes the deaths of thousands of men, women and children. The SCU makes a campaign to never forget the cruelty of the enemy and tens of millions of recruits flock to the SCU as the war escalates again. 777PU: The destruction of Markarth in the Freiei System. The planet is unstable and the massive kinetic bombardment actually cracks the crust of the planet leading to the deaths of nearly 200 million Union citizens. 778PU: The SCU launches a major raid towards Bright Moon but is intercepted and ambushed. The fleet is largely decimated and results in the loss of almost one hundred ships. Entire loss of the 7th fleet. 778PU: Neirvauhl Unleashes their Paragon lasers on a planet (Urnth) for the first time and the whole galaxy gasps in shock at the death they cause. The Nerivith say that they are just doing what is required to win. But the destruction of entire worlds is seen as too high a cost. 778PU: Yeown scientists reverse engineer some alien technology that allows their ships to withstand higher gravitational fields and they increase their average warp coefficient from 4000c to 5400c giving them a massive advantage against the SCU. 779PU: The war is costing quadrillions and is unsustainable, first parleys are exchanged and peace talks are initiated but don't last as the built up animosity gets the better of the opposing sides. 779PU: Radical terrorists that want the war to continue try to bomb the second peace conference on Malistorn and almost succeed. 779PU: Distrust grows while a single man(Nathanial Keys) from the SCU who has a wife(Salacia Keys) from the HIS tries to bring everyone together. 779PU: The Final major battle of the war as the SCU launches a covert ops campaign to sow terror and dissent amongst the ranks of the HIS on the planet Ye’drellin II in the Ye’drellin system. The raids are performed by dedicated chaos units in heavy powered armour. 780PU: During a speech about peace on Malistorn, Nathanial is shot and killed by a radicalized terrorist, his wife makes a bold impression by finishing his speech even as her husband lies dead at her feet. Her fiery impassioned words finally tilt the scales and the war officially ends three weeks later. === The Imperial Trine Ascendancy (ITA) === Formed from many different subjugated races, the ITA is a brutal imperialistic regime that sets the trine up as overlords and masters of the lesser races. Their initial reception to the union was a misunderstanding as they came across a mining vessel and demanded to know their allegiance. As the mining vessel was crewed by simple miners they misunderstood and gave the name of their company instead of the Union leading to an initial misunderstanding that resulted in several damaged ships and a couple deaths on both sides, the miners ended up warping out amidst the confusion. When the ITA realised the true scope of the Union they almost immediately opened negotiations in order to both gauge the true strength of the Union and its many member species. What the ITA quickly discovered was that while the Union may have preached a peaceful message, they were fully capable of violence as the negotiations started to break down. The trine’s main delegate was demanding some pretty aggressive trade sanctions on the Union for the right to deal with them and this led to a verbal dispute between one of the human delegates and the trine ambassador. This verbal dispute degraded till physical violence seemed inevitable in which the trine delegate threw a glass bottle at the human who promptly jumped up onto the table. One of the ITA delegation guards pulled their sidearm and shot the man in the chest but was surprised when the human just roared in anger and charged him. The human was shot at least a few more times before the human slammed the offender into the wall and threw the trine guard through a nearby window and then collapsed unconscious. Medical teams were called and the injured people were dragged away. The trine ambassador was shocked and had to ask what they had just witnessed. When informed that the human had entered a rage state and their adrenaline had likely helped them to ignore the trauma of their wounds. They also mentioned that they were sorry for the human’s reaction and would do anything they could to amend the misunderstanding. Unfortunately for them, this was not a misunderstanding that could be easily fixed as the trine were a deeply superstitious race and to them humans acted like their interpretations of devils or demons. === The True Masters of Creation and The Mutalids === '''History''' In the ancient past, many hundreds of years ago, a small planet orbited a vibrant yellow sun. Life and prosperity led to the inhabitants, a large race of sapient slug-like entities calling themselves the Masters of Creation, reaching out to space. But instead of finding peace and understanding, they found death. A race of terrible potent hatred known only as the Defilers rose up against the Masters and began to destroy their worlds. One by one they fell till this terrible enemy was knocking at the gate of their one final home. The planet of Creation. It was here that the Masters made their final last stand against the terrible and destructive scourge of the Defilers. The battle was won, the Defilers destroyed, but at a terrible cost. The planet of Creation was shattered, its once beautiful surface blackened and scarred. The Masters took a vow, to rid the Galaxy of the scourge if it took a million years, and they did. Over a vast and unknown amount of time the Masters scoured the Galaxy of the Defilers till none remained, but they didn't stop there. They weren't immortal and so over the long years their goals had twisted from one of pure revenge to a hatred of all that was other. Their own perversion unknown such was the bevilement of their original purpose. They have over time become that which they had so earnestly sought to destroy. Their righteous crusade turned into the most vile of destruction. They have become a terror, one of the great filters of the Galaxy. In order to become dominant one must first be overlooked by the terrible ravenous swarms of the Mutalids and even then they are not entirely safe. Any system they colonise or inhabit may be watched by this great enemy and bring the full wrath of the Masters down upon them. '''Culture''' The Mutalids, also called the Masters by subjugated species, are a true horror in the galaxy. An amalgamation of a thousand species, they travel the Milky Way galaxy seeding worlds with life. They seed these worlds with the intention of the dominant lifeforms to take a form of their own likeness, that of monstrous armoured forms and snapping claws. The carcinization of species on many of the seeded worlds is due to a latent genetic imperative to end up in a form that emulates their masters. That of the crustacean. The Mutalids one goal is to create new races and then subsume the best of them into their own culture by either force or coercion. They would appear to non-crustacean like species as horrible armoured monsters, all life culled to make way for another try at perfection as they see it. They are not controlled by any type of governing body, rather they are directed by an abominable intelligence that takes the form of a massive slug-like creature they call a Master of Creation. It is from this soft bodied queen that the seeds of life are created and spread to new worlds. When the Mutalids come across non-seeded worlds with their own sapient indigenous life they quickly cull it and install their own genetic lineage upon the world. It is in this way that the primarily void borne races of the Mutalids are able to acquire fresh genetic materials and new soldier races for their neverending conquest against all non-similar lifeforms in the galaxy. There are many different Masters, each one inhabiting a large hollowed out piece of rock called a Shard. These Shards are thought to be actual shards of the Masters’ home world. Where they originated and when is not known, though it is understood that they likely originated from the Milky Way. === Types of Faster than Light Travel(FTL) === ''(The reason for so many is the realised fact that alien minds would in all likelihood come up with alien solutions to the same issues and thereby discover differing methods of travel.)'' '''Warped Bubble(Warp Drive):''' Arguably the simplest type of FTL, most species that discover FTL use this as its predictable and very reliable. It has the benefit however, that it's only limited by the energy you can dump into it, making it nearly infinitely upgradable. It's quite possible for extremely advanced species to use this system to cross intergalactic distances with strong enough drives. The ship will be surrounded by an artificial event horizon due to the extreme warping of space. This would generally blind or screen those on the ship from the surrounding universe, but it has been found that gravitational echos can be both detected and decoded through this artificial horizon allowing for a rudimentary type of active sensors. When a ship or vessel engages its warp drives the ship will move out of view faster than the speed of light making it impossible to actually detect its passing. It is easy to see when a ship enters or exits a warp bubble however as just before it exits and just after it enters a brilliant cascade of hyper-accelerated particles will be ejected outward in all directions. These almost immediately collide with other particles in the interstellar medium and decay into spectacular branching energy cascades like lightning in space that end with motes of shimmering light like the sparks of a campfire. If the drive were to suddenly stop working while the ship was in motion it would be flooded with a wave of hyper-accelerated particles that would almost certainly irradiate the ship killing all life on board. That's why there are almost always multiple warp drives on every ship, a main core and a secondary that is designed only to rapidly decelerate the ship in the event of a main drive collapse. This is done to allow the built up energy outside the event horizon to dissipate thus protecting the crew from harm. '''Warped Shockwave(Wave Drives):''' Similar in principle to Warp drives in the sense that the ship is traveling along warped space. It differs in the essential fact that the warped space is not fully self contained. This means that the ships are subject to not only the relativistic effects of FTL space, but enhanced levels of radiation from the warp bow wave. The ships need to be incredibly hardened against radiation and nearly blind or have covered sensors. This makes steering or seeing where you are going nearly impossible, not because of the event horizon around the ship like in warp drive, but because of the extreme scattering of radiation. Similarly to regular warp drives the ship will be whisked away far too fast for the eye to follow, but instead of motes of light the energized particles are instead released from the small gap in the warp wake as two streams of super ionized particles. This generally takes the form of twin streaks of light that can persist for several hours and glow in many colors depending on the type of elementary particles that were ionized. If the drive were to suddenly stop working while the ship was in motion it would be flooded with a wave of hyper-accelerated particles that would almost certainly irradiate the ship killing all life on board. That's why there are almost always multiple wave drives on every ship, a main core and at least one secondary that is designed only to rapidly decelerate the ship in the event of a main drive collapse. This is done to allow the built up energy outside the event horizon to dissipate thus protecting the crew from harm. '''Hyper Space(Hyper Drive):''' Very cheap in comparison to most other drive types it has its own risks however, requiring power intensive energy shielding to create a shield of safety around the ship as it enters a dimension is vastly higher energy states. This protects the ship from high energy collisions that would otherwise shred it's hull in minutes. If that was the only danger however it would be worth it, the danger truly lies in the fact that these other dimensions are populated with horrific eldritch nightmares, known as Hyperlurks, made of shimmering energy and ravenous chitinous flesh. If a ship's shielding fails while still in Hyper it's not the end of the world, but due to the way that the extradimensional space disperses energy, you cannot exit till all your built up energy has been fully discharged, so if something starts to eat its way through your hull before that happens, you have nowhere to flee. A strange whirling portal seems to open in front of the ship as the vessel is pulled inside. The color described can vary wildly but seems to be most commonly described as noxious or sickening, as if the very light itself is somehow twisted and painful to the mind. When a ship has fully entered the rift it closes slowly, contracting as the pressure of spacetime imposes its will on the offending hole before it closes. In this short time the portal is closing other things can be dragged inside or drag their way out. If the drives were to fail while the ship was in transit it would not change anything as the Hyper Drive is only used to open portals to hyperspace. '''Slip Space(Slip Drive):''' While similar in practice to a Hyper drive, it simply slips your ship through the gaps between realities rather than fully committing to leaving them, while slower, it is infinitely safer and does not require expensive energy shields to protect the ship like in hyperspace and allows for signals to be received on several extreme low broadbands. Signals that have wavelengths measured in the hundreds of kilometers such as Hyper-low frequency waves with frequencies greater than 3Hz. The ship initiates its slipspace mechanism and all at once seems to stretch into infinity before it thins to an infinitely one dimensional line of pure light. This effect is only witnessed by bystanders and is a visual hallucination as the conscious mind tries to make sense of its brief glimpse of anti-reality. From the perspective of those on the ship the universe pees back like the rind of an orange while bright grayness surrounds the ship on all sides. Their navigation is unimportant as the ship will always exit at its calculated destination. If the drive were to stop working for some reason while inside slipspace the ship would just spontaneously appear in its corresponding location in realspace. This is dangerous as one could appear inside of a star or in the event horizon of a black hole. There is no way to see where one is when in slipspace. '''Intradimensional(I-Drive):''' The drive folds the ship into a hole in space that burrows through the fabric of reality, this is extremely quick, near instantaneous over vast distances, but is rather inaccurate, so it's not recommended to try and I-Drive into a system When the I-Drive is switched on the ship will seem to fold inwards in a tesseract as it is shunted through the lower boundaries of real space to its destination. When it arrives the same will happen but in reverse as the ship will seem to fold out of itself into realspace. From the perspective of a crewmember on beard nothing would happen as conscious though halts while in I-space. It would seem as if one moment they were in another location entirely. While this can be incredibly disorienting it is by far the preferred method over its cousin of Extradimesional travel. If the drive were to suddenly malfunction while in transit the effects would be immediate and incredibly severe. The ship would no longer be supported and thus fall through the fabric of reality and be lost in either a self diminishing fractal dimension where time does not exist or be exposed to the raw anti-stuff that is subspace and discoperated instantly. '''Extradimensional(E-Drive):''' The entire ship is shunted out of the know, into a place where existence is just an unasked question. This is energy intensive, but has the benefit of allowing you to materialize exactly where you want to, within picometers of your planned destination. Unfortunately, due to the dangers of errant thought in this Extra Dimensional realm, occupants have to be cryofrozen, or put into a stasis field in order to not cause horrific paradoxical damage to the surrounding space when they exit. Its benefits are outweighed by its relatively short range however, usually used in tandem with I-Drives. Extradimensional space is a strange place. It is a realm of relative calm to most other dimensions but no less dangerous. In fact it is its extreme hostility towards all forms of life that make it the least used form of FTL in the Entirety. When a vessel leaves the Known for E-space it seems to slowly fade from view, as if its atoms are reluctant to follow where they have been directed, it is unknown what happens to a vessel should its drive fail in transit as the effect is for all intents and purposes instant. Occasionally ships leave and do not return however, their speculated fate only made the more horrific for the total lack of available information. '''Anti-Reality(AR-Drive):''' These terrifying devices use a strange substance known as Oblivion Essence to collapse spacetime in front of the drive essentially dragging the ship at horrific relative speeds. It's not uncommon to see even low power AR Drives with speeds measured in the hundreds of thousands of c. The most interesting thing about these drives is the fact that it happens without pulling the ship out of reality or shielding it from the universe, so it's possible to watch stars turn to streaks of painfully bright purple light as their wavelengths are ultra compressed by the ship's forward momentum. A ship using one of these will not be visible to the naked eye in any way as they travel, but their effect is devastatingly apparent as a warped tunnel of darkness will bore through any known substance in their paths including singularities and subspace rifts. If an antireality drive were to fail in transit it would have no damaging effect on the vessel in question other than some heavy turbulence as spacetime slams in to fill the true void around the ship. It is also possible to detect the universe surrounding the ship as it travels because it is wholly uninsulated from the space around it, this makes it instantly deadly to unshielded vessels and any biological life that may be unfortunate enough to be aboard. '''Stable Wormholes(Infinity Gates):''' Fragments of Chaos leftover from an earlier Oblivion Cycle, these large structures are ring shaped and seem to act as a stabilizer for an artificially generated wormhole. The manner in which they do this remains barely understood but seems to revolve around intense magnetic fields and dark energy sources from internalized colliders. This gives the Infinity gates the ability to transport matter and energy virtually instantaneously across inconceivable distances. While the ability to build these powerful devices has been lost, the technology has been put to use in smaller less complex versions called Jump Gates. The event horizon of the gate resembles random TV static, the constantly shifting motes of white and black play endlessly across a perfectly flat plane on non-exsistance. Infinity gates are constantly active, their event horizons looking akin to the surface of a pond upon which this static forever dances. As the transfer is instantaneous there is virtually no danger of the quantum link dissipating and killing you in transit, near zero but still possible. '''Unstable Wormholes(Jump Gates):''' Reverse engineered from the much more powerful Infinity Gates, the Jump Gates are similar in function if not power. They are capable of instantaneous transportation of matter and energy over vast distances. From thousands of miles to tens of light years. Unlike Infinity Gates that are able to remain open all the time and allow matter to pass both ways, Jump gates are much more unstable and must be manually keys to either incoming or outgoing matter. This is generally done in cycles of a few hours, though the gates are able to continually communicate with each other over these vast distances and so accidents and surprises are rare. The event horizon of the gate resembles random TV static, the constantly shifting motes of white and black play endlessly across a perfectly flat plane on non-exsistance. When the gateway is opened it appears to peel back the corners of reality from an infinitely small point at its center towards the edges of the gateway. This can be incredibly unnerving to those unfamiliar with the gates and their method of operation. As the transfer is instantaneous there is virtually no danger of the quantum link dissipating and killing you in transit, near zero but still possible. '''Wormhole Compression(Compression Drives):''' Used by the Prime before the discovery of stable artificial wormhole technology, the principle is similar to the infinity gates in the fact that matter gets shunted through an artificial wormhole to another point in space. These differ in the fact that the wormhole was created by surrounding the vessel in a fluctuating negative energy field then collapsing the field using an antimatter singularity to draw it in. This would nearly instantly collapse all regular space within the bubble and pop it out in another location in a relatively small area cosmically speaking. It was never a perfect science as the collapsing bubble of warped space could easily be disrupted by the tiniest anomalous energy spikes. It was relatively cheap to use as the energy is generated by massive void reactors. When the compression field is activated a series of gravitational anomalies will surround the ship making it seem to twist and distort as its reflected light is bent a thousand different directions. This space then rapidly collapses inward seeming to take the vessel with it. On the opposite side of the spectrum the view from inside the ship is opposite as the surrounding universe seems to distort in much the same way before rescinding into the infinite horizons. After the barest fraction of a moment reality is reimposed and the ship is now in a new location. If the containment fields were to fail before the ship is translated it would be crushed into an infinitely dense point of the same mass as the ship before the hawking radiation caused an almost immediate and ultra-violent explosion equal to the exact mass energy conversion of the vessel’s matter. '''Wormhole Entanglement(Quantanglement Drive):''' The QT Drive works via a mysterious force known as entanglement. Essentially it acts similarly to a Compression Drive except the target location is scouted by a large number of femtosecond micro-wormholes through which entangled particles are ejected. The particles are then measured for accuracy and safety. The closest safe particle is then found and energized via quantum vibrations and used as a homing beacon for the new and improved style of drive. This eliminates the vast uncertainty values normally associated with untethered wormhole drives by giving a specific measurable destination. When the quantanglement field is activated a series of gravitational anomalies will surround the ship making it seem to twist and distort as its reflected light is bent a thousand different directions. In this moment as the many different seeker particles are ejected a second wave of gravitational gateways are opened in a specific sequence to transport the vessel to a specific desired location. The space then rapidly collapses inward seeming to take the vessel with it. On the opposite side of the spectrum the view from inside the ship is opposite as the surrounding universe seems to distort in much the same way before rescinding into the infinite horizons. After the barest fraction of a moment reality is reimposed and the ship is now in a new location. If the containment fields were to fail before the ship is translated it would be crushed into an infinitely dense point of the same mass as the ship before the hawking radiation caused an almost immediate and ultra-violent explosion equal to the exact mass energy conversion of the vessel’s matter. '''Higgs Field Inhibitor(Chal’nocc Drive or Higgs Drive):''' Originally discovered by an alien race thus the non english term, the Higgs Drive works by lowering the mass of a vessel in the inhibitor field and thus allowing it to achieve faster than luminal velocities. The closer the inhibitor approaches to zero mass the faster the vessel can travel. It is theorized that at a mass of absolute zero a vessel's speed would reach infinity. As the Higgs Drive is activated the ship will seem to become translucent as light passes straight through it, no discernable movement will be seen as its afterimage fades. On the ship itself space will seem to darken as all incoming electromagnetic radiation ceases to interact with the ship, this makes detecting the outside world impossible and so courses must be plotted with extreme caution in order for one to avoid the potential for catastrophe. If the drive were to fail in transit the ship would gradually regain its mass and thereby slow safely to a stop, this is one of the safest though more energy intensive forms of FTL in the Entirety. === A Brief Overview of Fictional Materials(Still WIP) === ''(Non-fictional materials will be marked with an * in front of their name)'' '''SCU''' [278PU]Plasteel: a special steel alloy that is able to bend and deform to a much higher degree without mechanical deformation. Essentially like a plastic that has the same heat and electrical properties of steel. [693PU]Jeseorite: a type of organic aluminum oxide compound that makes up the majority of the Jeseo's bodies. Commonly known as Supersapphires due to its incredible superconductor-like properties. [302PU]Titansteel: Actually a super high strength tungsten alloy, it is capable of withstanding truly incredible stress and heat, to the point that it is considered high tech even in the age of FTL and galactic empires. It's only downside is its incredible mass, which makes it rather impractical as armor, instead being used for super high strength parts and long lasting machinery. It can commonly be found bonded to nano-diamonds in cutting tools and drilling implements. [894PU]Jeseodrives: essentially a block of engineered Jeseorite wrapped in silver wire, these function as an extremely efficient replacement for traditional copper wrapped electrical engines. With efficiencies over 99% some scientists believe that these devices somehow break the laws of thermodynamics, while not yet proven, the theory remains hotly debated. [-203PU]Dromemite: A biological polymer compound produced naturally by Barodrome clams from the world Abyss. It is hard yet flexible, tough and durable. Resistant to corrosion and ultraviolet light, it has found many applications throughout the union. It is also far more biodegradable than conventional hydrocarbon based plastics. It has found use in both domestic and military applications. [107PU]Duracrete: A type of extra durable concrete generally used in landing platforms and the foundations of large buildings. Can be reinforced with plasteel to give it even more structure. [196PU]Duramite: A type of sudo ceramic that is incredibly shock and fracture resistant. Even resistant to Depleted uranium rounds. Generally used as sacrificial armour plating over the top of more conventional armour types. [269PU]Glazmite: A type of clear silicate compound that resembles glass but has a much higher tensile strength, it can also be configured to be solar or vibrational absorbing to provide small amounts of passive energy production to the structure it's on. It is marginally bulletproof and laser absorbent. [1973AD]*Osmiridium: An Iridium/Osmium alloy that has incredible strength and durability as well as being very resistant to oxidation. Due to its extreme density and the inability to counterfeit the metal due to it being the heaviest alloy in existence, it is a good standard for the maintenance of the Union economy. It is also highly valuable as it is used in the production of key technologies such as both artificial gravity generators and warp drives. [2256AD]Keensteel: A type of steel alloy that is exceptionally bright due to its high chromium content, it is also highly resistant to severe temperature changes and is commonly used as the skin for shuttles and dropships, sometimes covered in other heat absorbing compounds. [167PU]*Hafnium-Carbonitride(Hacanite): An engineered alloy that has incredible temperature resistance. Its unique alloy composition acts more like an amorphous ceramic than metal. It is essentially a type of metallic glass alloy resistant to temperatures in excess of 5,000 degrees C and incredibly durable. [322PU]Shiversteel: A type of titanium alloy that is incredibly resistant to vibrational energies. This allows it to vibrate at very high frequencies for extended durations without suffering from tensile stress or other types of structural degradation. Commonly used in the manufacture of weapons and parts in gravity field generators. [222PU]*TBAM: {(TB4)(Al3Mg3B56)} Titanium Boride x Aluminum Magnesium Boride alloy. This is an Ultrahard material that has a microhardness and fracture resistance greatly exceeding 40GPa. This material is durable to the point of being almost impossible to damage with conventional means, it is known to be susceptible to large scale torsion forces however due to its unique crystal structure making it unsuitable for large scale construction. [189PU]Ballistic Bucky-Cloth: Made of woven carbon nanofibers anchored to buckyballs, this is an incredibly light and durable flexible armour used everywhere from the private sector and police to the military and black ops units. Its cost is negligible(In the Union) and its usefulness is well acclaimed. '''Trine''' []Hypersteel: A type of steel alloy that is capable of retaining its tensile strength at incredibly high temperatures. It is generally used to armor Trine ships against hyperspace entities. []Omnium: A type of artificial transuranic muon catalyzing compound that allows for the stimulated emission of heavier than normal particles that allow for the ability to fuse tritium and helium 4 at drastically lower temperatures. A cold fusion catalyst. '''Femdrine Federation''' []Ulternium: Element 354Ut is the stable form of element 126[Having 228 Neutrons]. It has interesting chemical and physical properties and is used in several industrial applications. As an ultradense and non radioactive element it has uses in medical technology as well. Is mostly used in the construction of Jumpgates by the Femdrine Federation. '''Destroyers/Annihilators''' Adamant: The hardest known pure element. It naturally forms in small deposits in the upper crust of neutron stars(also called Neutronium) ; it is very dense and almost incalculably hard. In fact the only way to effectively forge it is by atomising it into a vapor and then depositing that vapor with high powered lasers, kind of like a giant laser printer, but much much more intense. Once deposited it is resistant to temperatures well in excess of 1,000,000 degrees K before losing tensile rigidity. Blastglass: A form of ultra pure optical sapphire, it is essentially a transparent lattice of aluminum oxide crystals in a matrix, harder than diamond and shock resistant, it is nigh unbreakable by conventional means. '''Celestials''' Brilliathist: A type of extremely durable crystalline compound created by the Celestials and used in the bulk of their manufacturing and architecture. It has the clarity and luster of natural diamond but is many times more durable. Celestial Battlesteel: A super durable metallic alloy that is very dense and resistant to most forms of energy. It is a bright shining bronze in coloration and does not tarnish or rust with age but remains eternally bright. Developed by the Celestials. Stritemis Carbide: A type of ultra rigid jet black carbon alloy created by the Celestials that combines itself with superdense elements to create a rigid set of parallel nanofilaments that are nearly unbreakable. '''The Great Ones(Krillions)''' Krillion Battlealloy: A very strong type of Ceramometallic Glass that was both tougher and has more tensile strength than steel by many magnitudes. It is a slightly translucent blue in coloration. Used to great effect during the pacification wars that consolidated their empire. Eternitium: A type of Krillion invented energetic compound that, when charged with high energy radiation, would emit a heavy cloud of charged plasma around it. This plasma was dense enough to block kinetic attacks and diffuse energy weapons fire. The amount of energy this plasma field could absorb was directly proportional to the amount of energy the plates were charged with. They were generally left uncharged until an incoming attack was detected in which case a single plate would be charged to block that specific attack. === The Kræl Dominion === ''WIP Entry'' === Cosmic Entities in The Oblivion Cycle === There are many horrors and undefinable cosmic entities in the TOC setting, some of them more hostile than others, a few of them seemingly benevolent though they remain creatures of incomprehensible goals and intent. These cosmic entities are generally beings of incredible power, having achieved some level of higher knowledge or reality bending capability. They are generally immortal or incredibly long lived and most are very hard to injure or are completely indestructible in nature. While there are many ways to form such a being, many are either extradimensional or ascended beings of one form or another. '''Known Cosmic Entities in the Entirety''' '''Cosmic Destroyers:''' Shadowy and almost entirely incorporeal, these universal boogeymen have attained the highest level of technology that is possible in our reality. While they don't normally take shape, they can form their bodies into many shapes as necessary and even lower their density to pass through solid objects. They possess burning orange eyes full of ancient hatred and malice, while not necessarily 'evil' beings, they are a negative force in the universe. They originated from a separate universe before the creation of the current, their reality was being destroyed. After they were cast into borderspace, they used what little of their willpower remained to cross into our universe at its creation. Unique Subrace[Tainted Annihilators] Fallen Destroyers AKA Tainted Annihilators are Cosmic Destroyers who have lost sight of the true goal in lieu of simple destruction. They generally seek the destruction of life not to preserve, but simply for the joy of it. They generally manifest as dark imposing figures of huge proportions, powerful and almost indestructible, these eldritch terrors are the enemy of all life. They seek only to destroy for destruction's sake, not for the pruning of dangerous technologies or races that are a danger to the fabric of reality itself. While Cosmic Destroyers are incorporeal higher dimensional beings, Annihilators condense all of their power and essence into a single plane of existence and thus become much more concentrated and durable. They are susceptible to their own kind however. '''Collectors:''' A race of sentient AI originally created by the Primogenitors to continue their immortal legacy, they traveled the galaxy as cartographers and historians, collecting fragments of chaos and storing them safely aboard their worldships. Their bodies varied wildly in design and were based on the personality and whims of the individuals. While their culture existed for many millions of years, they were struck down at the height of their power by an altogether more sinister force. Their bodies are as different as the planets they traveled, many with strange eldritch forms and others with more animalistic shapes. The one thing they all had in common were their green glowing eyes, filled with ancient knowledge. Each collector is bonded with their worldship and the two are both separate and the same. When both are bonded they create a vast superconsciousness that is greater than either could ever be alone, they do separate on occasion however as the emotionally devoid ship may become a bit of a bother to the collector’s consciousness. The ship's AI is blank, a basic routine thing that only barely understands concepts like friendship and feelings, the collectors are the opposite. Emotionally rich beings with complex understanding of the nature of the universe, they act as both guides and masters to their ships as the vast sentient vessels carry them across the stars. '''Watchers:''' The watchers of the Milky Way are generally humanoid but uncanny in appearance as if their bone structure was slightly off. Generally bald figures of ambiguous nature, they wear clean black suits and have long black clawed fingers. Their features are off, just a touch alien and they generally don't interfere with events. While these beings are similar in general appearance to many other sentients that inhabit the galaxy, they don't seem to be related to any that are known. It is as if they had spawned into existence from some other plane. They are tall but not too thin, no defined muscle tone but not skinny. They were created by a Collector and acted as the eyes and ears of that being. Over time their creator was lost and their purpose evolved into something more sinister. '''Bliss:''' These creatures are the hyper evolved forms of less potent sentient entities, they have ascended one might say, to a higher plane of existence. What they were before and who they used to be is of little consequence as they become a being of pure light and energy. Capable of manifesting things into existence seemingly through sheer will, they are actually able to manifest objects from their higher plane to the lower without much effort. They have the appearance of white nebulous light that emits streamers of energy almost like tendrils of light. Unique Subrace[Blight] The Blight are members of the Bliss that have fallen from grace for whatever reason. They have turned from the light of illuminated knowledge and ascension to perpetrate dark crimes of passion and anger upon the living denizens of the universe. Depending on their level of ascension before they turned, they may be vastly powerful or weak as a breeze. This is of little consequence as it takes only the whispered half truths and dark forbidden knowledge to destroy a civilization. Bliss that have turned in this manner are distinguishable from their pure minded fellows by the red tint of their streamers. They are known for their ability to manipulate and absorb energy, often taking up residence in stars to grow their power slowly over time. '''Duplicators:''' These creatures are biomechanical in nature, absorbing raw minerals and elements and using them to duplicate themselves. While not very intelligent by themselves, they can quickly become super intelligent when their numbers cross a certain threshold as they can communicate over a close system long range network that seems immune to jamming or tampering. It is speculated that they may be extradimensional in origin. They are generally uniform in appearance, they are small flattened spheres that have a multitude of legs and a series of complex mouthparts they use to ingest raw materials and process them into small spheres of a complex compound that will mold together when in large enough quantity to form a new Duplicator. The original creator of these horrors is currently a mystery, though it may have had something to do with the terrifying Paragon of Odium. '''Defilers:''' Little is known about this race and its history save for the terrible relics left behind. They are assumed to have been an incredibly war-like race bent on the total destruction or subjugation of other species. While no ruins have been found that can be said to have been built by these beings, the effects of their existence and rule is plain to see in the destruction they wreaked upon the galaxy in eons past. '''Acsenthii:''' A hole in space, a wrinkle in time, what was once misplaced, you can never re-find. The acsenthii, sometimes called the shimmer, are a mysterious race of beings that seem to exist in a different dimension than most other known races. Appearances are rare, but when they do manifest, they seem to appear as a distortion. A warping of reality that cannot be interacted with on a physical level, though light is capable of interacting with the distortion. They have no physical form and yet can manipulate the forces of gravity to an incredibly fine degree. They can do this for many reasons, to defend themselves, to send messages or communicate, or even to create strange and impossible objects. Instead of conquest or power, the acsenthii seem to value knowledge above any other factor, it is for this reason that they rarely appear to any but the most highly learned or advanced species of the universe. They have appeared to some of the brightest minds of the galaxy, but not until a few billion years after the fall of the collectors. There are no documented cases of them appearing before then. One of the most peculiar things about them is the fact that nearly all who have contacted them describe the experience as incredibly pleasant, as if one were conversing with a long lost friend. They are sub-space entities, manifestations of the everpresent bleed of borderspace into reality. '''Anomaly:''' The Anomaly is a sixty-centimeter sphere of metallic silver material capable of teleporting near-instantly across large portions of space by self made wormholes. They seem to be capable of changing their density at will and can extend amoeba-like pseudopods from their form. Anything that touches the surface of their bodies is instantly destroyed, seemingly disappearing forever. They are capable of projecting wide gravitational cones from their extended arms that collapse anything in their blast into neutronium, or pure compacted neutrons. They don't seem interested in machines and can somehow sense sentient life whether it is organic or crystalline. There have never been any recorded survivors from Anomaly attacks and they are only known due to the records of destroyed ships and the like. ''Spoilers Ahead'' The Anomaly is a single entity that originated from the singularity of a black hole. The entity was originally a massive Krillion battle construct called the Paragon of Odium till it flew too close to a collapsing star, dragging the monumental computational device with it into oblivion. The Anomaly harbors an instinctive hatred for living things. It is capable of instantaneous teleportation over vast interstellar distances, up to and possibly exceeding 50 light years. Due to its prior involvement in the Oblivion War, it harbors an intense hatred of the Cosmic Destroyers specifically and is one of the few forces in the universe that can strike fear into their black nebulous hearts. ''End of Spoilers'' '''Masters:''' A race of large slug-like creatures that call themselves The True Masters of Creation, they are huge pale fleshy creatures with spots, patches or stripes of various colors across their bodies. Their blood is red and iron based as is the blood of all related lifeforms from the worlds that they seed with life across the galaxy. Masters of genetic and biological technologies, they seed worlds with life in order to grow their vast armies. They live for tens of thousands of years, their knowledge is incredible. They travel the galaxy looking for their enemies, the long dead race known as the defilers. While their ultimate purpose might be futile, the masters having outlived their purpose, this doesn't stop them from wreaking havoc all across the Milky Way. '''Insidious Outsiders:''' Born of nightmares and the pure chaotic anti-stuff of Border Space, these creatures are as evil as they are enigmatic. They take many forms, though the most common is that of a large almost conical torso studded with a variable number of shining purple eyes that constantly seem to weep burning tears. Their bodies widen till they branch off into a number of vein-like tentacles that can be used for both locomotion and feeding. These limbs generally branch and twist like some infernal tree as they near the ground till they resemble a twisted bundle of dark fibers, these fibers are used for both feeding and as a means of attacking potential prey. They would capture a creature and use their multitude of appendages to burrow deep inside their victim to drain them of life. This works on both biological and machine life strangely as it seems the true horror of these vitaevores is that they consume life itself, not just the material their prey is made of. When done draining their prey, the desiccated husk is discarded in any nearby convenient location while they look for more to fill their insatiable appetite. While terrifyingly fast and resistant to damage they are not truly invulnerable, though it may sometimes seem that way. If killed or damaged their dark mahogany colored blood may leak out, this too is highly dangerous as despite their ambient temperature outer layers, their internals are clocked at an average of 1,520 degrees C. This makes their blood capable of melting through starship hulls and burning flesh from meters away. When fully killed their dark forms seem to slowly evaporate away as if the great heat inside of them is finally allowed to interact with their physical forms. To reproduce they psychically infest a sapient host’s mind, depending on the willpower and mental fortitude of their victim they may have anywhere from eight to twenty hours before a new insidious outsider bursts from their body like a leech from its cocoon. '''Vast:''' Impossible to truly comprehend, these beings of pure consciousness inhabit the plane outside of reality, an area called Borderspace. They are the creators and destroyers of universes and are responsible for the multitude of various multiverses that exist alongside each other. Due to Borderspace not having a true concept of physical space, these beings can be said to be simultaneously smaller than atoms and larger than entire universes, it’s impossible for mortal minds to comprehend this strange realm of contradictions and pure thought. The Vast are born out of the gestalt consciousness of mature universes, bursting forth like a chick from an egg, destroying their incubating reality in the process. 2dc399a413f8333fb6cd00c766d460b5444c7cd2